Stocks recouped the previous day's losses across the nation on Feb. 7 on improved trading volume and value.

On the HCM Stock Exchange, the benchmark VN-Index finished at 401.08 points, an increase of 0.34 percent from the previous session. Market value grew 24.4 percent to reach 531.4 billion VND (25.3 million USD), while the volume of trades rose over 12 percent to 37 million shares.

The VN-30 Index, which tracks the movements of the 30 leading shares by market capitalisation and liquidity, also rose 0.41 percent to close at 449.31. Trading value on those 30 stocks, accounting for 57 percent of total market value on the HCM City bourse, totalled over 302 billion VND (14.4 million USD).

Insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) and Vietinbank (CTG) hit their ceiling prices, but food producer Masan Group (MSN), property developers Vincom (VIC) and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG), and steelmaker Hoa Phat Group (HPG) lost from 0.5-2.1 percent.

Other heavyweight codes Sacombank (ST), Vinamilk (VNM) and Eximbank (EIB) closed unchanged, of which the latter was the most active with 4.24 million shares changing hands.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index climbed 1.69 percent to close at 62.53 points, with advancers edging decliners by 136-103.

Trading value grew by 15 per cent over Feb. 6 to almost 328.3 billion VND (15.6 million USD) on a volume of 38.3 million shares.

PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) and VNDirect Securities (VND) saw the heaviest trades with over 5 million shares changing hands for each code. VND hit its ceiling at 8,100 VND, while PVX also rose 4.9 percent to close at 8,600 VND.

Vietnam's market outlook was still positive, but investors should wait until inflation fell to below 12 percent, when a sustainable rally would be formed, to buy shares, said Kim Eng Securities Co's head of research and analysis Michael Kokalari.

However, the rapid increase of the stock market in recent weeks might simply be a technical recovery after a long period declining, he added.

Kokalari also recommended investment in shares of the sectors that could help boost economic growth such as consumer goods, information technology and agriculture./.