Sri Lankan shares end higher as industrial stocks rise

Sri Lankan shares closed modestly higher on Tuesday, led by gains in industrial stocks.

* The CSE All-Share Index SE ended up 0.18% at 6,979.29.

* Ceylon Tobacco Co Plc and Commercial Bank of Ceylon were the top boosts to the index, rising 0.7% and 1.5%, respectively.

* With a near 67% fall, Sampath Bank was the biggest drag on the index.

* Trading volume fell to 29.7 million from 41.9 million in the previous session.

* Foreign investors were net buyers, purchasing 314.1 million Sri Lankan rupees ($1.6 million) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

* Equity market turnover was 972.9 million rupees, exchange data showed.

* The Sri Lankan rupee was quoted at 198.00 against the dollar as of 1205 GMT, according to Refinitiv data.

($1 = 198.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) ((saisachin.r@tr.com; +91 80 6182 2754; Twitter: @sachinr27;))