Trades on the HCM Stock Exchange on Nov. 30 reached only about 75 percent of the previous day's volume, totaling just 26.2 million shares, as the VN-Index retreated by 0.6 percent to close at 380.69 points.

The value of trades remained anaemic at just 386.3 billion VND (18 million USD). Of the 10 leading shares by capitalisation, only software giant FPT, Sacombank (STB) and food processor Masan (MSN) managed gains. Others lost ground or closed unchanged, while Vietinbank (CTG) bottomed out. STB was the most-active share with nearly 2.1 million traded. It rose by 0.7 percent to end the session at 14,400 VND per share. Overall, decliners outnumbered advancers on the HCM City bourse by 149-63.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index dived by 1.5 percent to 60.47 points. Trading value, however, increased by 19.6 percent, reaching 257.2 billion VND (12.1 million USD) on a volume of 30 million shares.

VNDirect Securities Co (VND) was the most-active share nationwide with around 2.2 million exchanged, but it slid by 2 per cent to close at just 9,900 VND per share. Shares of food and beverage maker Thai Hoa Vietnam Group (THV) rose to their ceiling price of 4,000 VND per share on a volume of 750,000 shares, after the company disclosed information that US-based Haverstock Master Fund had agreed to buy 320 billion VND (15 million USD) worth of THV shares through order matching on the Hanoi bourse – despite THV posting a nine-month cumulative loss of over 26 billion VND (1.2 million USD).

No supporting news on the economic situation or business performance was expected to spur the market toward year's end, wrote a stock analyst on the website of the FPT Securities Co.

"Cash flows currently are still staying away from the equity market as investors find no convincing rationale to jump in – not even the Prime Minister's promise to shore up the market," he said.

Analysts with Sai Gon-Hanoi Securities Co said investor caution was reasonable in the context of low market volume and stressed bank liquidity. They warned that, before any specific measures were introduced, investor psychology would be very fragile and the market would likely continue to fluctuate within a narrow band./.