The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the VN-Index is based, saw 170 stocks gain and 226 lose despite closing in the green.

Total trading volume was at its lowest point in over a month at VND5.36 trillion ($231.68 million). Liquidity was consistently at around VND8-9 trillion last month, its highest levels in over a year as the VN-Index experienced six weeks of near straight gains.

52 percent of Friday's trading was directed towards stocks outside the VN30, a basket of the HoSE’s 30 largest caps. The gains of non-blue chips were able to offset losses on the VN30. The VN30-Index itself shed 0.08 percent this session, 12 stocks losing and 9 gaining.

Topping losses in this basket were VRE of mall operator Vincom Retail, down 1.9 percent, MWG of electronics retailer Mobile World, down 1.7 percent, and KDH of real estate developer Khang Dien House, down 1.6 percent.

Banking stocks saw mixed results. In the public sector, MBB of mid-sized Military Bank shed 1.6 percent, while Vietnam’s three biggest lenders by assets, BID of BIDV, VCB of Vietcombank and CTG of VietinBank kept their opening prices.

Of private banking stocks, TCB of Techcombank shed 1.4 percent, VPB of VPBank, 0.8 percent and HDB of HDBank, 0.4 percent. STB of Sacombank was flat, while EIB of Eximbank gained 0.6 percent.

In oil and gas, GAS of energy giant PetroVietnam Gas was down 1 percent, PLX of petroleum and distributor Petrolimex fell 0.8 percent while POW of electricity firm PetroVietnam Power edged up 0.1 percent.

Nine stocks on the VN30 saw no change compared to their opening prices. The biggest capped tickers in this group, excluding those of the three state-owned banking giants, were VHM of real estate developer Vinhomes, VNM of dairy giant Vinamilk, and VJC of budget carrier Vietjet.

Leading gains this session were MSN of food conglomerate Masan Group, up 2.3 percent, PNJ of jewelry retailer Phu Nhuan Jewelry, 1 percent, FPT of IT services group FPT, 0.8 percent, and VIC of private conglomerate Vingroup, 0.6 percent.

Meanwhile, the HNX-Index for the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid- and small-caps, was up 0.73 percent, and the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Companies Market gained 0.41 percent.

Foreign investors continued to be net sellers to the tune of over VND151 billion on all three bourses. The most net sold stocks were MSN of Masan Group and VRE of Vincom Retail.