Share prices slid in the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange while adding value across the electronic board in Hanoi on December 25, though the momentum remained somewhat muted.

On the southern bourse, the VN-Index ended the session 0.24 percent lower at 504.42 points. The VN30 Index, representing the city's 30 largest stocks, also lost 0.3 percent to plunge to 561.18 points as losers outnumbered gainers 16 to five.

Trading declined 21.5 percent to around VND980.7 billion (US$46.2 million) and 73.6 million shares, compared to December 24.

Meanwhile, on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index rose by a modest 0.13 percent to 68.21 points, but the HNX30 Index comprising 30 top blue chips fell 0.44 percent to 128.90 points.

The value of trade accomplished reached 382.6 billion VND (18 million USD), or 61.2 percent of the December 24 level, with a volume of nearly 47 million shares.

Hanoi Investment General Corp (SHN) and (PVX) were the most active in Hanoi. The SHN hit its ceiling price for the 18th straight day, while PVX also rose to the ceiling price for four successive sessions.

Nearly 8.7 million PVX shares changed hands. Market Vector Vietnam ETF sold out all the PVX shares it had been holding.

Investors remained quite cautious. While, currently, supportive information was hard to come by, news about the US' tapering of its QE3 package and Vietnam's economic data for this year have all been announced and have impacted the market.

Meanwhile, the information that could have a far more direct influence, namely lifting of the foreign ownership restrictions, joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks and corporate operations' results will become public only with the advent of the new year.

Foreign investors turned out on December 25 as net buyers on both exchanges, increasing their net buying value to the tune of more than 77.5 billion VND (3.6 million USD).-VNA