Stocks return to 5-week high

The index closed 1.9 points higher after Monday’s surge of 13.8 points.

Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, on which the index is based, jumped 34% to VND17.8 trillion (US$686 million).

The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 12 tickers rose.

BVH of insurance company Bao Viet Holdings led with a 3% increase, followed by GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas, up 1.9%.

VPB of private lender VPBank went up 1.8% and TPB of private TPBank closed 1.5% higher.

Thirteen blue chips fell, including BCM of Becamex Investment and Industrial Development with a 2.6% decline.

GVR of Vietnam Rubber Group dropped 2.2% and SHB of Saigon Hanoi Commercial Bank closed 1.6% lower.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND74 billion, mainly buying VRE of retail real estate arm Vincom Retail and NVL of property developer Novaland Group.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, rose 0.68%, while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market gained 0.75%.