Local shares divided in different directions on the two bourses, with lower market liquidity as investors exercised caution on the market's correction.

The local bourses totaled 155.5 million shares in trading volume and 2.69 trillion VND (124.6 million USD) in trading value, a decrease of 9.05 percent.

Foreign investors reduced their net buy value on both bourses by 19.74 percent to 79.72 billion VND (3.69 million USD).

On the Hochiminh Stock Exchange, the VN Index neared the benchmark of 634 points, but shareholders with stronger selling activity in the late session pushed the index below its value of the previous day.

The VN Index was down 0.12 percent to 631.26 points at the end of the session with 111 advancers and 88 decliners.

The fall of large-cap shares, especially the ten largest stocks, was the main reason the VN Index's correction continued, as securities firms such as BIDV Securities Corporation predicted.

Among the 10 largest shares, Vietcombank (VCB) extended its losses by 1.98 percent and PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (GAS) switched from a gainer to a decliner with a decrease of 0.8 percent.

Other blue chips like BIDV (BID), Vietinbank (CTG), Sacombank (STB) and Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) also declined, dragging the VN Index down.

As usual, some blue chips acted as supporters to keep the market from falling further – such as FPT Corporation (FPT), PetroVietnam Transportation Corporation (PVT) and particularly Hoa Sen Group (HSG), which reached the ceiling price at 45,900 VND.

The market also witnessed a change in money flow as it began to switch its focus from large-cap shares to mid-cap shares.

Among the most active stocks, five of them were mid-cap codes, including Duc Long Gia Lai Group Joint Stock Company (DLG), Petrovietnam Power Nhon Trach 2 Joint Stock Company (NT2) and Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading Joint Stock Company (TCM).

DLG was also the most active stock on the southern bourse with more than 11.2 million shares exchanged yesterday, but the share hit its floor value for the second time.

The HNX Index on the Hanoi Stock Exchange ended at 86.32 points, an increase of 0.28 percent with 89 gaining codes and 102 losing ones.

Though gas shares continued declining, the northern market still improved thanks to blue chips such as VNDirect Securities JSC (VND), Petrolimex Petrochemical Corporation JSC (PLC) and Tien Phong Plastic JSC (NTP).

Kim Vi Inox Import Export Production Joint Stock Company (KVC) and TNG Investment and Trading JSC (TNG) gained the most among the 10 most active stocks on HNX. KVC advanced 7.36 percent and TNG rose by 8.59 percent.-VNA