Vinamilk pulls down VN Index

Photo shows investors during a trading session at ACB Securities Company. - VNA/VNS Photo Trần Việt

The benchmark VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange edged down 0.4 per cent to close at 664.2 points. The gauge increased 0.7 per cent on Wednesday.

The market breadth was negative with 149 stocks declining, 98 advancing and 74 remaining flat.

Blue chips led the downturn as 22 of the top 30 largest shares by market capitalisation and liquidity lost value, while only seven gained.

The biggest listed stock Vinamilk (VNM) decreased 2.4 per cent after foreign traders continued to offload these shares with a net sell value of VNĐ66 billion (US$2.9 million). Vinamilk has been often among the top most-sold list by foreign investors in the past month.

Overall, foreign investors remained net buyers in HCM City’s market yesterday but their net sell value dropped to nearly VNĐ12 billion, down 85 per cent from Wednesday’s level.

Bank and financial shares were among the biggest losers. All of large banks including BIDV (BID), Vietcombank (VCB), Vietinbank (CTG), Military Bank (MBB) and Sacombank (STB), as well as big securities firms like HCM City Securities (HCM) and Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) slumped.

Among the few gainers, steelmakers attracted money inflows after the Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts demand for construction steel will remain relatively high on the back of a strong recovery of the real estate sector.

Hòa Phát Group (HPG) climbed 1.4 per cent to VNĐ42,500 a share with more than six million shares changing hands, being the third most active stock in the southern bourse.

Other steelmaking firms like Pomina (POM) increased 3.7 per cent; Đại Thiên Lộc (DTL) and Hoa Sen Group (HSG) were up by less than 1 per cent.

Gas stocks, led by PV Gas (GAS), PetroVietNam Low Pressure Gas Distribution (PGD) and CNG Việt Nam (CNG) with increases between 0.8 per cent and 3.1 per cent, were on the investors’ radar after global oil prices continued to set new highs.

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index decreased 0.6 per cent to 79.8 points.

Liquidity fell as just 138 million shares worth VNĐ2.5 trillion ($110 million) were traded in the two markets, down 16 per cent in volume and 24.3 per cent in value compared to Wednesday’s figures.