Robust rises in dairy giant Vinamilk (VNM) and Masan Group (MSN) rescued the VN-Index from a fall on August 26, buoying the index 0.76 percent to close on 490.54 points after a 6 point slide in the morning.

The market tumbled earlier in the day, retaliating to a surge in August CPI (consumer price index) and moves by the State Securities Commission to tighten regulation on securities trading.

VNM shares jumped 3 percent to settle at 140,000 VND (6.67 USD) a share following confirmation its formula milk is safe and separate from tainted milk provided by New Zealand's Fonterra.

MSN also jumped 2 percent to 82,500 VND (3.93 USD) a share after falling to just 77,000 VND. Other blue chips which fell in the morning also rebounded in the afternoon, including PV Gas (GAS), Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corp (HAG) and Hoa Phat Group (HPG).

Nearly half of the top 30 shares by market capitalisation and liquidity advanced, lifting the VN30 0.24 percent to 543.38 points.

Trading was sluggish, however, as both market volume and value slumped 20 percent from the previous session; trading 43 million shares worth 926.6 billion VND (44.1 million USD).

FLC Group (FLC) was the most active stock on August 26 with trades of 2.3 million shares, closing at 5,200 VND. Tien Len Steel Corp (TLH) came second with 2.2 million shares changing hands at a ceiling price of 6,500 VND each.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index also rose 0.6 percent to finish August 26’s session at 61.79 points. However, trade continued to slide as just 14.5 million shares worth 127.7 billion VND (6.1 million USD) were exchanged, down 30 percent in volume and value compared with August 23’s session.

Sai Gon-Hanoi Bank (SHB) continued to be the most active code on trades of 2.11 million shares at 6,400 VND a share.

The foreign sector continued to slide on August 26 as net sellers on both markets unloaded combined shares worth 73.2 billion VND (3.5 million USD).-VNA