Stocks plunged during the trading session on Tuesday (12 May 2020) , triggering a 30-minute trading halt.

Here, the S&P SL20 index fell 88.50 points or 5.03% to 1,672.03, during the trading session, triggering the first circuit breaker threshold leading to a temporary halt in stock market trading, as per a new directive by the regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Trade halt will be lifted at 11.39 am.

The Colombo Stock Exchange which was reopen on Monday (11 May 2020) after a seven-week shutdown, was closed immediately for trading right after the opening bell as the S&P SL20 index plunged about 10.11%  from the previous close (20 March 2020).

It just took 38 seconds after opening for the active S&P SL20 Index to crash by 10%, a level (circuit breaker) which now requires the closure of the market immediately as per a new directive by the regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The stock exchange had already shortened operations to two hours as the island nation’s capital remains under curfew even as the government allowed public and private companies to resume operations from Monday.