The index fluctuated mostly in the 1,160 range throughout the day and ended with a one point gain.

Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, fell 1 percent to VND17.4 trillion ($752 million). The bourse saw 205 stocks gain and 245 lose.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND268 billion for the first time after 23 sessions.

Their purchases centred mostly on VIC shares of the Vingroup conglomerate, NVL of Novaland Group and GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas.

The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 12 stocks gain. VIC went up up 2.3 percent to reach its highest value since Jan. 15. The ticker is 3.6 percent away from breaking this year’s peak.

It was followed by STB of Ho Chi Minh City-based lender Sacombank, up 1.9 percent after four losing sessions.

MSN of conglomerate Masan Group rose 1.1 percent after four losing sessions. The ticker has fallen over 11 percent from this year’s peak in January.

PNJ of Phu Nhuan Jewelry rose 1 percent to a near five-week high.

Meanwhile, the HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, fell 0.56 percent, while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market dropped 0.15 percent.