VN-Index inches up after hitting this year’s bottom

The index closed 6 points higher after losing 88.6 points in the last five sessions and falling to the lowest in 19 months.

Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, surged 53% to VND17.14 trillion ($718.13 million).

The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 15 tickers gained, led by GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas with a 4.8% rise.

It was followed by STB of Ho Chi Minh City-based lender Sacombank, up 4.6%, and FPT of IT giant FPT Corporation, up 4.5%.

Other gainers included VRE of retail real estate arm Vincom Retail, CTG of state-owned lender VietinBank and SSI of leading brokerage SSI Securities Corporation.

Ten blue chips fell, with PLX of fuel distributor Petrolimex losing 4.2% and KDH of real estate firm Khang Dien House falling 3.1%.

Foreign investors were net buyers after seven net selling sessions to the tune of VND159 billion, mainly buying DGC of Duc Giang Chemicals Group and KBC of industrial real estate developer Kinh Bac City.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, rose 0.34% while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market fell 0.31%.