The Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Friday, data on its site showed.

The broader All Share Index closed up 0.03 percent, or 3.60 points, at 12,314; while the more liquid S&P SL20 Index closed up 0.13 percent, or 4.73 points, at 3,655.

Turnover was 1.2 billion. A large part of this came from banking stocks (Rs574mn).

“There was some positivity coming into the market, and there was buying interest especially in banking stocks, due to the IMF news and the [CBSL] governor’s announcements,” market participants said. “But market really didn’t take off.”

Hatton National Bank Plc saw the most active volumes (Rs256mn) traded in the day. The share closed up at 205.25.

Sampath Bank Plc also saw high volumes change hands. The share closed up at 80.10.

Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc contributed the top contributor to the index in the day. The share closed up at 108.75.

Other top contributors to the index included John Keells Holdings Plc which closed up at 206.00, Hayleys Plc which closed up at 96.10, and Teejay Lanka Plc which closed up at 40.00.

There was a net foreign outflow of nearly 103 million