Customers perform transactions at a branch of VPBank (VPB) in Hà Nội. Shares of VPBank (VPB) rose 0.9 per cent on Monday. Photo courtesy of VPB

HÀ NỘI — Shares made gains on Monday but investors remained cautious on decreased liquidity and the return of foreign net-selling.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange rose 0.13 per cent to end the session at 1,175.04 points.

More than 630 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VNĐ15.3 trillion (US$663.5 million).

Market breadth was negative with 199 gainers and 231 losers.

“VN-Index continues to retest the short-term resistance at 1,180 points. Liquidity decreased slightly, market amplitude narrowed and market breadth was negative, indicating cautious trading sentiment among investors,” said BIDV Securities Co.

“Foreigners turned back to be net sellers on the HSX and net buyers on the HNX. The VN-Index is likely to move in the 1,160-1,200 point range this week," the firm said.

Foreign investors net sold VNĐ613.42 billion on HOSE, including dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM) (VNĐ178.2 billion), steelmaker Hoà Phát Group (HPG) (VNĐ110.1 billion), and SSI Securities Incorporation (SSI) (VNĐ42.5 billion). They were net buyers on the HNX to the tune of VNĐ11.0 billion.

Towards the end of the session, the VN-Index's gain was significantly reduced as banking stocks such as Techcombank (TCB), Military Bank (MBB), Vietinbank (CTG) and Sacombank (STB) extended their losses.

Among them, Sacombank (STB) decreased by 0.5 per cent to VNĐ18,600 per share and Techcombank (TCB) lost 0.3 per cent to VNĐ38,600 per share.

Securities stocks also reported losses such as SSI Securities Inc (SSI) decreased 0.9 per cent, VNDirect (VND) down by 0.9 per cent and Viet Capital Inc (VCI) declined 1.4 per cent.

A number of other blue-chips also performed poorly such as Phú Nhuận Jewelry (PNJ), Sài Gòn-Hà Nội Bank (SHB), Vincom Retail (VRE), Sabeco (SAB) and Petro Vietnam Gas JSC (GAS).

But some still attracted cash flow and supported the indices such as Kido Group (KDC), Vinhomes (VHM), Vingroup (VIC) and VPBank (VPB).

The large-cap tracker VN30-Index was unchanged at 1,180.55 points.

Twenty of the 30 large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket decreased while eight made gains.

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index rose 2.94 per cent to end Monday at 237.97 points.

Nearly 107 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VNĐ1.8 trillion. — VNS