VN-Index inches up after plunge

The index stayed in the red for the morning but regained growth minutes before lunch.

It closed 3.27 points higher after plummeting over 57 points on Monday.

Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, on which the index is based, dropped 21.6 percent to VND14.52 trillion ($625.3 million).

The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 16 tickers in the green, led by GAS of Petrovietnam Gas with a 6.8 percent gain.

FPT of IT giant FPT Corp gained 3.4 percent, while PNJ of Phu Nhuan Jewelry rose 3.3 percent.

Other winners included BVH of insurance company Bao Viet Holdings and PLX of fuel distributor Petrolimex, both up 2.6 percent.

Eleven blue chips fell, with SSI falling 6.2 percent to the lowest since last May.

HPG also hit a 16-month low with a 4.7 percent drop.

TPB of private lender TPBank lost 4.2 percent, and MSN of conglomerate Masan Group closed 2.5 percent lower.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND307.40 billion, focusing on GAS and HPG.

The HNX-Index at the Hanoi Stock Exchange, where mid and small caps list, was up 0.59 percent while the UPCoM-Index at the Unlisted Public Companies Market rose by 0.07 percent.