Stocks continued their pre-holiday upswing on the Ho Chi Minh StockExchange on May 4 as trading resumed after a long holiday weekend.The VN-Index gained an additional 1.35 percent to close the May 4'ssession at 486.58 points.
But the already anaemic volume of trades declined by 15.9 percent fromApril 29's levels to just 21.2 million shares, worth only 583.9 billionVND (27.8 million USD). Gainers edged out decliners by 115-109, with 65codes closing unchanged, but nine out of the 10 leading shares bycapitalisation picked up points.
Masan Group (MSN) saw thebiggest gains of the day, rising 4.9 percent to 129,000 VND per share,followed by Hoa Phat Group (HPG), up 2.9 percent to 35,200 VND; propertydeveloper Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG), up 1.7 percent to 42,800 VND;insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), up 1.6 percent to 93,000 VND; andsoftware producer FPT, up 1 percent to 50,500 VND.
VietinBank (CTG) was the only loser among the top 10 shares, closing off 0.4 percent to 28,400 VND per share.
Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) saw the highest volume, with 1.2 millionshares traded, of which foreign investors accounted for buys of 585,600shares. SSI closed unchanged on the day, however, at 20,500 VND pershare.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, without the assistanceof major blue-chip shares, the HNX-Index continued last week's retreat,closing down 0.47 percent from April 29 to 83.19 points.
Trading slowed to a volume of just 19.7 million, for a value of only260.7 billion VND (12.4 million USD). Losers also outnumbered gainers onthe northern bourse by 162-53.
VNDirect Securities (VND)was the most-active share nationwide, with nearly 3 million traded, butthe shares closed unchanged at 14,400 VND.
Foreigninvestors concluded the day on both market as net buyers, picking up anet of about a million shares on the HCM City market and nearly600,000 on the Hanoi market.
Au Viet Securities Coanalysts predicted a likely correction in the coming days with no moresupporting information to lift shares. They cautioned investors toconsider carefully prior to any investing decision. /.