VN-Index on 3-session losing streak as Asian shares drop

The index closed 1.96 points lower after dropping 12.50 points in the previous session.

Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange decreased by 18% to VND12.843 trillion (US$523.1 million).

The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 14 tickers fell.

SSB of SeABank plummeted by 5.9%, followed by PLX of fuel distributor Petrolimex with a 1.3% drop and POW of electricity producer Petrovietnam Power Corporation, down 1.2%.

Eleven blue chips gained. STB of Ho Chi Minh City-based lender Sacombank went up 1.4%, HPG of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group gained 0.8%, and VJC of budget airline Vietjet closed 0.77% higher.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND7 billion, mainly buying FPT of IT giant FPT Corporation and VNM of dairy giant Vinamilk.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, fell 0.10%, while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market went down 0.05%.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.3%, Reuters reported.

U.S. stock futures faltered and the dollar was on the defensive on Wednesday, while bond prices rallied, as markets reacted to a U.S. presidential debate in which Vice President Kamala Harris put Republican Donald Trump on the defensive. S&P 500 futures eased 0.36%.

European shares were the bright spot, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index was edging up 0.07%, boosted by the oil and gas sectors on concerns that Hurricane Francine would disrupt output in the U.S.