Sri Lankan stocks closed weaker for the fourth straight session on Monday. The main benchmark stock index fell for the fourth straight session on Monday and ended 0.28% lower at 5,881.72. The index posted a gain of 0.07% last week, after posting its first weekly declines in eight in the previous week.

Sri Lankan investors have been mainly in a wait-and-see mode since the main opposition party named a hardline former defence chief as its presidential candidate. The market has been awaiting details of former defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa's campaign as well as the identity of the ruling party's presidential candidate, who has yet to be announced, dealers said.

Copyright Reuters, 2019