Shares declined on the HCM Stock Exchange on the last four days this week, but strong demand from local traders cushioned the market.— Photo bnews.vn

HÀ NỘI – Shares declined on the HCM Stock Exchange on the last four days this week, but strong demand from local traders cushioned the market.

The benchmark VN-Index inched down 0.06 per cent to 805.82 points yesterday. It expanded 1.1 per cent in the last three sessions.

The market breadth was neutral with 130 stocks rising, 129 falling and 84 closing flat.

Two exchange-traded funds (ETF) – FTSE ETF and V.N.M ETF – concluded trading for their third-quarter portfolio restructuring yesterday and this had a negative effect on the market as many large-cap stocks were in the list for sale of these two funds.

Shares of Vietnam National Petroleum Group (PLX), Sài Gòn Beer-Alcohol-Beverage (SAB) and budget airline Vietjet (VJC) were included in the FTSE Vietnam All-Share Index, but VJC closed unchanged while PLX and SAB decreased 0.15 per cent and 0.18 per cent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Hòa Bình Construction Group (HBC) was included in the V.N.M ETF’s portfolio, but edged up just 0.33 per cent. FLC was removed from the fund’s basket this time and dropped 0.4 per cent.

Other major stocks, although being increased or reduced weights in ETF’s portfolios, saw little changes. In recent years, ETF portfolio restructuring has not generated as great influence on the market as before.

Vinamilk (VNM), VinGroup (VIC) and Masan Group (MSN) dropped 0.2-0.5 per cent while steelmaker Hòa Phát Group (HPG) and FLC Faros Construction (ROS) rose by less than 1 per cent.

According to Vietnam Investment Securities Co, investors begin to pay attention to the stocks with promising business results in the third quarters.

“The company keeps a cautious view on the market outlook, but opportunities are open to individual stocks,” it said in a note.

Shares of real estate and securities companies attracted big money yesterday and most of them saw gains in value, including Saigon Securities Inc (SSI), HCM Securities (HCM), MB Securities (MBS), Novaland Investment Group (NVL), HCM City Infrastructure Investment, Đất Xanh Real Estate Service & Construction (DXG) and Dream House Investment (DRH).

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index maintained the uptrend, up 0.1 per cent to end at 104.49 points. It inched down 0.05 per cent on Thursday.

Liquidity changed little with a total of 218.3 million shares worth VNĐ4.8 trillion (US$211.4 million) in the two markets, down 6.3 per cent in volume but up 6.7 per cent in value compared to the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers on the two exchanges yesterday, offloading shares worth a combined VNĐ293.6 billion. – VNS