A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A350 aircraft. The national carrier's HVN shares hit the ceiling price, leading the market on Friday. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines

HÀ NỘI — The stock market closed the week on a positive note on Friday, with the VN-Index posting gains amid reduced liquidity, while foreign investors signalled a return to net buying.

On the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index rose by 2.83 points, or 0.23 per cent, to settle at 1,257.5 points.

Market breadth leaned positive, with 202 advancing stocks outnumbering 113 decliners. Liquidity on the southern bourse, however, dipped to VNĐ13.5 trillion (approximately US$530.8 million), with 568.9 million shares traded.

The VN30-Index, which tracks the top 30 largest-cap stocks on the HoSE, also advanced by 3.61 points, or 0.27 per cent, to 1,317.77 points. Within the VN30 basket, 14 stocks advanced, 12 declined and four remained unchanged.

Leading Friday's market rally was Vietnam Airlines JSC (HVN), whose shares hit the daily ceiling with a gain of 6.93 per cent, contributing over one point to the VN-Index.

Other notable gainers included Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (VNM), which rose 1.72 per cent, FPT Corporation (FPT), up 0.95 per cent and Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (BCM), which climbed 1.8 per cent.

However, declines in several heavyweight stocks capped the market's gains. Hòa Phát Group JSC (HPG) dropped by 0.56 per cent, Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) lost 2.29 per cent and No Va Land Investment Group Corporation (NVL) fell by 3.35 per cent.

Analysts from Việt Dragon Securities observed that, while the market continued to receive support and rebounded modestly, it remained tentative around the MA(20) technical resistance level. They noted that liquidity fell compared to the previous session, indicating reduced selling pressure, although cash flow remained limited and primarily focused on mid and small-cap stocks.

“While the support signals are not yet decisive, the current technical rebound may provide momentum for further short-term recovery. The market is expected to test the 1,260–1,265 point zone, with supply and demand dynamics at this level determining the next direction,” analysts said.

They advised investors to remain cautiously optimistic about the market's recovery prospects, focusing on short-term opportunities in stocks showing strong technical signals or those stabilising near key support zones. However, they also recommended carefully managing profit-taking strategies, particularly for stocks that have advanced rapidly towards resistance levels.

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index edged down slightly by 0.21 per cent to close at 227.07 points. Trading value exceeded VNĐ833 billion, with over 48 million shares exchanged.

In a notable shift, foreign investors began showing signs of bottom-fishing, recording net purchases worth over VNĐ30 billion on the HoSE. This marks a potential reversal of the persistent selling pressure seen in previous sessions. — VNS