VN-Index posts biggest single-day gain in five months

The index rose steadily throughout the day and closed 33.19 points higher, the biggest gain since July 7 when it hit 33.76 points.

Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, dropped 31 percent to VND21.68 trillion ($939 million).

More than 220,600 new stock trading accounts were opened in November, a record number, according to Vietnam Securities Depository.

The country now has 4.09 percent of the population investing in stock.

The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw all tickers in the green.

VRE of retail real estate arm Vincom Retail closed with a ceiling rise of 7 percent, ending a chain of eight sessions in the red.

POW of electricity producer Petrovietnam Power Corporation surged 6.8 percent to the highest in nearly 18 months, continuing an upward trend that began in July.

GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas went up 4.9 percent after three losing sessions.

Other gainers included KDH of real estate firm Khang Dien House, up 4.6 percent and HPG of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group, up 4 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of VND303 billion, with focus on VHM of real estate giant Vinhomes and VCB of state-owned lender Vietcombank.

The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, gained 2.42 percent while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market rose 1.52 percent.