Sri Lankan shares end higher on consumer staple, financial boost

Sri Lankan shares closed higher for a third consecutive session on Thursday, helped by gains in consumer staple and financial stocks.

* The CSE All-Share Index rose 0.93% to end at 7,228.23.

* Cigarette maker Ceylon Tobacco Company Plc and conglomerate LOLC were the top two boosts to the index, gaining 2.1% and 2%, respectively.

* Trading volumes fell to 61.4 million from 94.6 million in the previous session.

* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading 131.1 million rupees ($668,877.55) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

* Equity market turnover was 1.28 billion rupees, exchange data showed.

* The Sri Lankan rupee LKR=LK was last quoted at 196 against the U.S. dollar as of 1317 GMT, 0.26% weaker for the day compared to the previous session's close of 195.5 rupees, according to Refinitiv data.

($1 = 196.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) ((AnuronKumar.Mitra@thomsonreuters.com; +91 99863 58469;))