An investor looks at stock prices on a screen at a brokerage
in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. 

The VN-Index rose 0.58 percent to 1,103.87 points Thursday, with total trading volume abating to its lowest level in three weeks. 

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the VN-Index is based, was a sea of green with 290 stocks gaining and 160 losing. VND10.8 trillion ($468.55 million) shares changed hands this session, the lowest volume of trading seen on the HoSE since December 11.

The VN30-Index for the stock market’s 30 largest caps surged 1.10 percent this session, carrying gains of the main index, and saw 19 stocks in the group rise against nine that fell.

Topping gains this session were MSN of food conglomerate Masan Group, up 6.5 percent, with other major gainers being SSI of brokerage SSI Securities Corporation, up 5.1 percent, FPT of IT corporation FPT, 1.7 percent, and POW of electricity generator PetroVietnam Power, with 1.5 percent.

Private banks were among the VN30’s best performers. TCB of Techcombank surged 5.4 percent, VPB of VPBank climbed 2.2 percent, HDB of HDBank and STB of Sacombank both up 0.6 percent, while EIB of Eximbank, which hit ceiling price the previous session, topped losses with 4.2 percent.

State owned banks also saw positive performance this session. Of Vietnam’s three largest lenders by assets, Bid of BIDV was up 1.4 percent, CTG of VietinBank 0.6 percent, VCB of Vietcombank kept its opening price, while MBB of mid-sized Military Bank added 0.4 percent.

Real estate leaned more towards the red this session. VHM of Vinhomes, the sector’s largest cap, shed 0.8 percent. NVL of Novaland and TCH of Hoang Huy Group both were down 1.2 percent, while KDH of Khang Dien House and ROS of FLC Faros rose 1 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.

Other major losers were SAB of brewer Sabeco, down 2.5 percent, VIC of private conglomerate Vingroup and GAS of energy giant PetroVietnam Gas, with 0.3 percent.

The HNX-Index for the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid-and small-caps, and the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Companies Market both surged by 3.14 percent and 1.42 percent respectively.

Foreign investors broke their streak of seven consecutive net selling sessions by gathering up a net of nearly VND200 billion on all three bourses, with buying pressure primarily on HPG of Hoa Phat Group and FUEVFVND, an exchange traded fund based on the performance of the Vietnam Diamond Index.