CSE investing glossary
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30 plain-language definitions with practical Colombo Stock Exchange context, examples and links into the tools that use them.
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30 definitions
- Indices & BenchmarksASPI – All Share Price IndexThe ASPI is the broadest benchmark index for the Colombo Stock Exchange, tracking the price movements of all ordinary shares listed on the CSE.Read definition
- Indices & BenchmarksS&P SL 20 IndexThe S&P SL 20 is a blue-chip index tracking the 20 most liquid and largest companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsMarket CapitalisationMarket capitalisation is the total market value of a company's outstanding shares, calculated by multiplying its share price by the number of shares on issue.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsP/E Ratio – Price to EarningsThe price-to-earnings ratio compares a company's share price to its earnings per share, showing how much investors are paying for each rupee of profit.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsEarnings Per Share (EPS)Earnings per share is the portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding ordinary share.Read definition
- Corporate ActionsDividendA dividend is a portion of a company's profits paid out to shareholders, usually expressed as a fixed amount per share.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsDividend YieldDividend yield expresses a company's annual dividend payment as a percentage of its current share price, showing the income return per rupee invested.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsBook Value Per ShareBook value per share is the net asset value of a company divided by its number of outstanding shares — what shareholders would theoretically receive per share if the company were liquidated.Read definition
- Valuation MetricsNAV – Net Asset ValueNet Asset Value is the per-unit or per-share value of a fund or company calculated by subtracting liabilities from total assets.Read definition
- Market ConceptsTurnover (Trading Turnover)Trading turnover is the total value of shares traded on the exchange or in a specific stock during a given period, typically expressed in LKR.Read definition
- Market ConceptsVolume (Share Volume)Volume is the total number of shares traded in a stock or across the entire market during a trading session.Read definition
- Market ConceptsLiquidityLiquidity describes how easily a stock can be bought or sold in the market without significantly affecting its price.Read definition
- Market ConceptsMarket BreadthMarket breadth measures the participation level of the overall market by counting how many stocks are advancing versus declining on a given day.Read definition
- Market ConceptsBlue-Chip StockA blue-chip stock is a share in a large, well-established, and financially sound company with a long record of consistent performance.Read definition
- Corporate ActionsIPO – Initial Public OfferingAn IPO is the process by which a private company offers its shares to the public for the first time by listing on a stock exchange.Read definition
- Corporate ActionsRights IssueA rights issue is when a listed company offers existing shareholders the right to purchase additional new shares at a discounted price, typically in proportion to their current holdings.Read definition
- Corporate ActionsBonus SharesBonus shares are free additional shares issued to existing shareholders in proportion to their current holdings, funded from the company's retained earnings or reserves.Read definition
- Corporate ActionsShare SplitA share split increases the number of outstanding shares by dividing existing shares into multiple new ones, proportionally reducing the share price.Read definition
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