CSE Records Historic Single-Day Gain Amid Mideast Peace Hopes 📈

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) achieved its highest single-day gain in history yesterday, fueled by optimism following ceasefire announcements in the Middle East and easing global oil prices. • Market Performance Overview ASPI: Up 4.21% (+885.14 points) to close at 21,917.60. S&P SL20: Up 4.42% (+257.68 points) to close at 6,090.50. This rally surpasses the previous record of 797.72 points set on March 25, 2026. • Sector & Stock Highlights The Banking sector dominated activity, contributing 24% of the daily turnover. Capital Goods and Food, Beverage & Tobacco collectively accounted for 33%. Top positive contributors included JKH, COMB, HNB, DIAL, and DOCK. • Liquidity & Investor Sentiment Market Turnover: Rs. 6.6 Bn with 248 million shares traded. Market Breadth: Strongly positive with 246 gainers against 16 decliners. Investor Profile: Increased participation from HNW and retail investors; however, foreign investors remained net sellers with an outflow of Rs. 612.4 Mn. • Economic Context The surge is attributed to the announcement of US-Iran peace talks, which bolstered international capital markets. Locally, this reflects improved investor confidence in equity markets as a reaction to stabilized global energy costs.