Only two of twenty sectors on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), registered any gains yesterday with both turnover and indices dipping.

The sectors that appreciated were Manufacturing and Investment Trust price indexes up to 710.54 and 6654.84 from the previous 706.68 and 6606.01 respectively.

The All Share Price Index shed 6.60 points while the blue chip Milanka was down a significant 16 points.

Turnover was a dismal Rs 123 million compared to the previous Rs 173,2 million.

The Elgin Fund was back in business after a short lay off picking up 100,000 C.W.Mackie at Rs 21 levels .

Stockbroking sources said that net foreign purchases of the counter was worth Rs 300,000.

Mackie was up Rs 4.25, on a volume of 937,900.It closed at Rs 23.25, after trading between a high of Rs 23.75 and a low of Rs 19.25.

Royal Ceramics continues to be in the news with some of the directors disposing a part of their shareholding between Rs 32 and Rs 33, levels.

Blue Diamonds though up only 25 cents was the third largest contributor to turnover with 2,886,100 trading between a high of Rs 5.50 and a low of Rs 5.25, at which price it closed.

Foreign buying was also evident in John Keells Holdings (JKH) with purchases amounting to Rs 13.3 million.

The top gainers for the day were C.W.Mackie, Three Acre Farms, Agalawatte, Lanka Aluminium and Coco Lanka.

Stockmarket analysts descrivbed yesterday is trading as 'boring' adding that it was 'unexplainable'. It appears that there are very few players in the market.