HNX breaks out the champagne

Trading volumes reached 54.77 million shares, worth VND665 billion ($32.1 million) on the northern bourse. The benchmark HNX-Index gained 1.76 points or 2.33 per cent to 77.39 points.

Volumes of major stocks with low prices soared, led by Kim Long Securities (KLS) with 7.4 million shares changing hands. VnDirect Securities (VND) and PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) saw an active session with 6.3 million shares traded each.

Hanoi Investment General Corp. (SHN) saw 2.7 million shares traded, Vietnam Construction and Import-Export JSC (VCG) 2.2 million, while Bao Viet Securities (BVS), PetroVietnam Northern Gas (PVG) and Saigon Commercial Real Estate JSC (SCR) had more than 1.7 million shares matched each.

The sole trading volume of those major stocks made up half of the market today.

Some 219 stocks were up with 78 hitting the ceiling on HNX, with 75 declining and 93 unchanged.

The main Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) was not animated, with liquidity modest at 33.5 million shares worth VND573 billion ($27.7 million). Put-through volumes made up a large portion of 7.26 million shares.

Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI) was active with 2.7 million shares traded, followed by Sacombank (STB) with 1.2 million shares. Other stocks all saw below one million shares changing hands.

The benchmark VN-Index advanced 4.38 points or 1 per cent to 443.95 points, after 137 stocks gaining and 70 decliners.

Masan Group (MSN) hit the ceiling. Other blue-chips, however, just slightly gained. Sacom Development and Investment Corp. (SAM), Thu Duc Housing Development (TDH) and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) all dropped.

Small and mid-cap stocks significantly advanced, among them Thong Nhat Rubber (TNC), Nari Hamico Minerals (KSS), Dien Quang (DQC) and Long An Food Processing Export (LAF) nearly hitting the ceiling.