VN-Index barely changes as Asian stocks slide

The index closed 0.16 points lower after gaining 7.43 points in the previous session.

Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange decreased by 15% to VND11.355 trillion (US$447.3 million).

The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 9 tickers gained.

FPT of IT giant FPT Corporation saw a 2.7% growth, POW of electricity producer Petrovietnam Power Corporation rose 1.6% and BVH of insurance company Bao Viet Holdings was up 0.5%.

Fourteen blue chips fell. SSI of brokerage SSI Securities Corporation went down 1.2%, VHM of property giant Vinhomes slipped 1.2% and VRE of retail real estate arm Vincom Retail closed 1.1% lower.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND355 billion, mainly buying FPT and TCB of private lender Techcombank.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, fell 0.27%, while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market went down 0.10%.

Globally, Asian stocks fell on Wednesday and currencies were volatile as investors fretted over whether other countries could be targeted for tariffs under incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, a day after he pledged new levies on Canada, Mexico and China, Reuters reported.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares drooped 0.3%. Taiwanese stocks lost 1.5%, while South Korea's KOSPI dropped 0.8%.

Japan's Nikkei declined more than 1%. The autos sector was the worst-performing industry group on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, dropping 3.6% as both the threat of tariffs and the drag of a stronger yen weighed on the profit outlook.

However, mainland Chinese blue chips recovered from early losses to rise by 0.7%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5%.