VN-Index returns to 1,390-range

Last-minute trade brought the index up six points to 1,391.63 after three sessions stuck in the 1,380-range.

Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, plunged 22 percent to VND21.03 trillion ($922.91 million).

The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 16 tickers in the green, led by HPG of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group with a 2.2 percent gain.

The ticker contributed 1.4 points to VN-Index’s gain after falling in the last two sessions.

FPT of IT giant FPT Corporation ended a chain of five sessions in the red with a 2 percent gain.

Its trading volume, however, was 12 percent lower than the average of the last 10 sessions, showing low demand.

GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas rose 1.6 percent, continuing its sideways trend after surging seven sessions in a row earlier this month.

Other gainers included MBB of lender MB and SSI of leading brokerage SSI Securities Corporation, both upping 1.3 percent.

Eleven blue chip tickers ended in the red, led by PDR of Phat Dat Real Estate Development, down 1.7 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the seventh session in a row to the tune of VND61 billion, with strongest pressure on NLG of real estate developer Nam Long Investment Corp and VNM of dairy giant Vinamilk.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, rose 0.49 percent while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market gained 0.95 percent.