Stock trading value hits 1.5-year low

The index closed 19.61 points higher after losing 3.2 points Wednesday.

Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange fell by nearly 24 percent to VND10.16 trillion ($436.9 million).

The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 20 tickers gain, led by CTG of lender VietinBank and POW of Petrovietnam Power.

They both hit the ceiling price, closing 6.9-7 percent higher.

GAS of Petrovietnam Gas and SSI of brokerage SSI Securities followed, surging 5 and 4.5 percent, respectively.

Other gainers included PNJ of Phu Nhuan Jewelry, up 4.4 percent, and GVR of Vietnam Rubber Group, up 4.1 percent.

Nine tickers bucked the trend, with VHM of real estate giant Vinhomes losing 2.5 percent.

Two other Vingroup-related tickers, VRE of retail property arm Vincom Retail and VIC of conglomerate Vingroup JSC, fell by 1.1-1.6 percent.

SAB of brewer Sabeco closed 1.7 percent lower, and KDH of property developer Khang Dien lost 1 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND352.6 billion, focusing on MWG of electronics retailer Mobile World, STB of HCMC-based lender Sacombank, and CTG.

The HNX-Index at the Hanoi Stock Exchange, where mid and small caps list, was up 2.89 percent while the UPCoM-Index at the Unlisted Public Companies Market rose by 1 percent.