COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan stocks plummeted shortly after opening for trading on Tuesday, leading the stock market to close early for the second day in a row.
The All Share Price Index fell by 8.1 percent while the S&P Sri Lanka 20 fell by 9.87 percent at the close of trading.
The total turnover was just over 800 million rupees (2.35 million U.S. dollars) as investors tried to minimize losses. Shares are expected to fall further as the country tries to overcome its economic woes.
The stock market opened for the first time on Monday since a week-long Sri Lankan New Year holiday and a subsequent five-day trading halt following the central bank's move to hike the interest rates by 7 percent.
The Colombo Stock Exchange has been adversely affected by the economic woes of the country, and the index has fallen 26 percent by the end of March compared to the end of 2021. ■