Sri Lanka stocks end at near 6-week high; rupee falls

Sri Lankan shares rose for the
fifth straight session on Thursday to end at a near six-week
high on local buying, even as foreign investors continued
exiting the island nation’s risky assets, while the rupee edged
lower on importers’ dollar demand.
** The benchmark stock index ended 0.16% firmer at
5,387.36, its highest close since May 3. It fell 0.24% last week
and 10.99% this year so far.
** The central bank cut its key interest rates on May 31 to
support a falteri