The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) lost nearly Rs. 324 billion in total market value during the first 20 days of October, following continued market downturns.

On October 20, the market recorded a decline for the second consecutive day of the week, pushing the benchmark index back below key psychological levels. The All Share Price Index (ASPI) dropped by 75.64 points to close at 19,983.78 points, dipping below the 20,000-point mark by the end of trading. Meanwhile, the S&P SL20 Index fell by 19.24 points to settle at 5,681.51 points.

Following the decline on October 20, the overall market capitalization of the Colombo Stock Exchange stood at Rs. 7,224.21 billion. At the beginning of October 2026, total market capitalization was recorded at Rs. 7,548.18 billion. This reflects a cumulative loss of Rs. 323.97 billion (approximately Rs. 324 billion) over the first 20 days of the month.

Just a year ago, on October 14, 2025, Sri Lanka's capital market reached a historic milestone when the total market capitalization of the CSE crossed the Rs. 8,000 billion (Rs. 8 trillion) threshold for the first time.