VN-Index retreats for second day hinh anh 1An investor watches stock fluctuations at a securities trading floor. (Photo: doanhnhansaigon.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) - The VN-Index experienced a correction on February 24 with a loss of 0.33 percent to close at 714.5 points.

Market conditions were negative on the HCM Stock Exchange as losing stocks outnumbered gaining ones by 152-104 while 68 closed unchanged.

Blue chips were the main drag while 17 of the top 30 shares by market value and liquidity declined while only seven advanced.

“The psychological resistance of 720 points is not easy to overcome as investors increased selling when the VN-Index is approaching this area,” stock analysts at Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities Co (SHS) wrote in a market report.

The VN-Index fell 0.43 percent in the last two sessions but has still gained 7.5 percent compared to the end of last year.

A positive factor was high liquidity which remained around 3 trillion VND (131.6 million USD) per session in the past two weeks, 50 percent higher than normal daily trading value since the beginning of this year.

Almost 233 million shares worth 3.6 trillion VND were traded on February 24 on the HCM Stock Exchange.

“The VN-Index could drop in the next session and retest the support levels of around 711-714 points,” SHS’s analysts said.

Property stocks continued to attract cash but started to decline under profit-taking pressure.

Novaland Investment (NVL), Hoang Quan Consulting-Trading-Service Real Estate (HQC) and Kinh Bac City Development (KBC) were still among the most active stocks on the exchange but their prices decreased between 1 percent and 5 percent.

FLC Group (FLC) and Tan Tao Investment Industry (ITA) were among few gainers. ITA hit the limit rise of 7 percent in a single session while FLC climbed 4.7 percent.

Among major large cap stocks, only Vinamilk (VNM), Vietinbank (CTG), Hoa Sen Group (HSG) and Mobile World Group (MWG) maintained their growth.

“Investors are seeking new investment opportunities in different stocks after many blue chips have gained substantial growth in the past rallies,” Bui Nguyen Khoa, a stock analyst at BIDV Securities Co wrote in a note.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index inched up 0.1 percent to end at 86.3 points with over 54 million shares worth 519 billion VND exchanged.

Foreign investors returned to be net buyers in the HCM City’s market yesterday after two net selling sessions, picking up a net value of 67 billion VND, mainly attributed by strong buys in dairy giant Vinamilk’s shares which was worth 55.7 billion VND.

They were also net buyers on the Ha Noi exchange but for a modest value of 3 billion VND.-VNA
VNA