Assurances from the Prime Minister late last week that the Government will take measures to stimulate the real estate and securities markets failed to lift shares on the HCM Stock Exchange on Nov. 28, although stocks recovered in Hanoi.

In HCM City , the VN-Index opened in positive territory but declined towards the end of the session, closing unchanged from the previous session. The volume of trades rose by 32 percent to 32.6 million shares, for a value of 437.7 billion VND (20.8 million USD). Advancers outnumbered decliners by 158-75.

Seven of the 10 leading shares by capitalisation lost value. Insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), food processor Masan Group (MSN), dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM) and Sacombank (STB) saw losses of 1.4-2.1 percent, while Phu My Fertilisers (DPM) and property developers Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) and Vincom (VIC) posted modest gains.

Sacombank (STB), with over 2 million shares traded, was the most-active stock, but it closed down 2 percent to just VND14,300 per share.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index gained 1.2 per cent over Nov. 27's close to finish the session at 61.91 points. Gainers overwhelmed losers by 161-88.

Value soared by over 62 percent to 286.7 billion VND (13.7 million USD) on a volume of 31.4 million shares. Despite recent scandals surrounding securities companies, shares of brokerage houses still attracted investors. Kim Long Securities (KLS) and VNDirect Securities (VND) continued to dominate the Hanoi exchange with volumes of 4.4 million and 3.7 million shares, respectively.

Many investors expected a rally in the near future as institutional investors and funds tried to run up the value of their assets towards the end of the year. However, analysts warned that this could be a double-edged sword, with major institutions likely to withdraw funds from the market rather than face continued risk.

"The market has not shown signs of attracting capital flows, and investment decisions based on forecasts of the strategies of institutional investors will be risky," Bao Viet Securities Co analyst Pham Van Khoa wrote in a report.

Foreign investors continued to unload shares on both exchanges and were responsible for a combined net sell of 52.3 billion VND (2.5 million USD) worth of shares./.