Gains in communication services stocks

Sri ‌Lankan shares closed higher on Monday, led by gains in ​communication services stocks.

The CSE All-Share index settled 0.2% higher at 22,612.31 points.

Dialog Axiata PLC was the top percentage gainer among communication services stocks, closing about 4% higher.

Industrial Asphalts (Ceylon) ⁠PLC ​and Eastern Merchants ⁠PLC were the top percentage gainers on the benchmark index, up 25% and 10.1%, respectively.

Trading volume on the ⁠index rose to 141.6 ‌million ‌shares from 120.3 million ​shares in ‌the previous session.

The ‌equity market’s turnover rose to 2.97 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($9.3 million) from 2.07 billion rupees ‌in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign ⁠investors were net buyers, purchasing stocks worth 436.6 million rupees, while domestic investors were net sellers, offloading shares worth 2.78 billion rupees, the data showed.