PV Coating delivers a batch of finished pipes for Pipeline Lot B. Shares of the company soared nearly 4.7 per cent on Monday, helping cushion the market's losses. — Photo pvcoating.vn

HÀ NỘI — Benchmark indices fell on Monday, as pre-Tết (Lunar New Year) sentiment dominated trading activities, resulting in a significant drop in liquidity.

On the Hochiminh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index closed slightly below its reference level at 1,754.82 points, down 0.67 points, or 0.04 per cent. This marked its third consecutive session of declines. 

Total trading volume reached 726 million shares, with a corresponding value of more than VNĐ20 trillion (US$773.3 million), reflecting both a decrease in volume and value compared to the previous trading session.

In the morning session, the VN-Index was poised to rebound on the support of several large-cap stocks, particularly from the banking and blue-chip sectors. However, the recovery proved short-lived as increasing selling pressure sent the index into a slight decline, leading to inconsistent trading around the reference point.

The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, increased 4.15 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 1,947.75 points. In the VN30 basket, 14 ticker symbols declined, while 12 inched higher and four stayed flat. 

The HNX-Index, which represents the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), fell by 0.27 points, or 0.11 per cent, to 256.01 points. 

The downward pressure primarily stemmed from major stocks, with Vinhomes (VHM) down 2.56 per cent or contributing approximately 2.12 points to the index's decline. It was followed by BIDV (BID), Gelex Electric (GEE), Vietinbank (CTG) and Sacombank (STB). These stocks lost in a range of 0.8-3.65 per cent. 

Losses were capped by the robust performance of the real estate sector, with several stocks posting significant increases. Notable gainers included Dat Xanh Group (DXG), which rose by 4.9 per cent, Khang Dien House (KDH) increasing by 4.5 per cent and Van Phu Real Estate Development (VPI) up by 3.2 per cent. Additionally, Hoang Huy Investment Financial Services (TCH) recorded a 2 per cent rise, while Phat Dat Real Estate Development (PDR) and Novaland (NLG) both saw increases exceeding 1 per cent.

The oil and gas sector also outperformed the broader market, with PV Coating (PVB) climbing 4.7 per cent, PV Drilling (PVD) by 3.5 per cent, PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS) by 3.4 per cent, and PV OIL (OIL) rising by 3.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, foreign investors continued their net selling spree, offloading VNĐ 255.43 billion on HoSE. — BIZHUB/VNS