July 25's session on the HCM Stock Exchange concluded with the VN-Index essentially unchanged from last weekend's close at 409.36 points.

The value of trades remained miniscule, totalling just 252.5 billion VND (12.3 million USD) on a volume of about 14.9 million shares. Decliners outnumbered advancers by a substantial margin of 140 to 65.

Sacombank, the fourth largest listed bank by charter capital, was again the most-active share on the southern bourse, but with only around 900,000 shares changing hands. STB lost 0.7 percent to close at 13,800 VND per share.

Among blue chips, software producer FPT, conglomerate Masan Group (MSN), dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM), real estate developer Vincom (VIC) and steelmaker Hoa Phat Group (HPG) all posted gains of around 1 percent, while Eximbank (EIB), developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG), Phu My Fertilisers (DPM) and PetroVietnam Finance (PVF) all lost value.

July inflation figures – bringing the increase in consumer prices to 14.16 percent since December 31 of last year or 22.16 percent in the first seven months compared to the same period last year – fuelled concerns that the central bank would continue its tight credit policy through the end of the year, FPT Securities Co analysts wrote in a note.

"It will be increasingly difficult to draw investor capital into the stock market in the near future, and the market will likely decline over the next few sessions," they said, adding disappointing first-half corporate earnings were also driving investors away from the securities market.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange on July 25, the HNX-Index slid another 0.92 percent from Friday's close to 70.23 points. The value of trades was sluggish at 204 billion VND (9.9 million USD), with just 16.4 million shares changing hands.

Losers outnumbered gainers by 170-60.

Kim Long Securities Co (KLS) was the most active stock nationwide, with fewer than 1.4 million shares traded, before it closed down 0.9 percent to VND10,500.

Foreign investors were net buyers on the HCM City bourse on July 25 by a net of 9 billion VND (445,100 USD) worth of shares, but they remained net sellers on the Hanoi bourse, unloading shares worth a net of 460 million VND (22,300 USD). /.