Sri Lanka * market update * 2.3 mn shares of CFIN cross at Rs.225.50, ASPI closed up 1-pct

ASPI closed at 6,425.96, up  62.78 points or 0.99 percent. 

2.3 million shares of Central Finance Company crossed at 225.50 rupees at 13:17:10 – Rs225.50 – 2,308,333 shares. brokers said that Perpetual Capital (Pvt) Ltd held this exact quantity of CFIN shares as at 30.9.15 – 2.2% of company. (Feb 02, 2016 15.15 p.m)

ASPI trading at 6,398.53, up 35.35 points or 0.56 percent with gains seen in Ceylon Tobacco Company and John Keells Holdings, brokers said. Turnover is at 2.9 million rupees.   (Feb 02, 2016 11.30 a.m)

USD/LKR opened at 143.95.20, dealers said. (Feb 02, 2016 09.15 a.m)

Asian stocks dropped on the back of  weak manufacturing data from China and low oil prices. Japan’s Nikkei was down by 0.3 percent, Australia’s ASX 200 by 0.5 percent, South Korea’s KOSPI by 0.6 percent and Singapore’s STI by 1 percent. Chinese data slowed according to reports to more than expected in January, to its weakest level since 2012, dragged down by small and midsize enterprises. (Feb 02, 2016 09.00 a.m)

In oil prices the U.S. benchmark fell $2 per barrel, 5.9 percent, to $31.62 per barrel while, the global benchmark declined 4.9 percent to $34.24. (Feb 02, 2016 09.00 a.m)

In the U.S., major stock indexes were down most of the day until Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent, and Facebook Inc. helped them end little changed. (Feb 02, 2016 09.00 a.m)