Shares rose slightly in both local markets on Thursday morning, driven by banks and brokerages. - Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Shares rose slightly in both local markets on Thursday morning, driven by banks and brokerages.

The benchmark VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange inched up 0.19 per cent to close at 728.60 points. Việt Nam’s key stock index had gained 0.3 per cent on Wednesday after a two-day loss of 0.4 per cent.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange edged up 0.24 per cent to end at 92.13 points. The northern market index has rallied by 2.2 per cent in the previous four sessions.

Around 172.8 million shares worth nearly VND3.1 trillion (US$137.6 million) were traded on Thursday morning.

Bank and brokerage stocks were the strongest gainers, with sector indices growing by 1.1 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively, according to vietstock.vn.

The banking sector got a boost from Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), BIDV (BID), Vietinbank (CTG) and MBBank (MBB).

Brokerages that recorded good gains include Saigon Securities (SSI), HCM City Securities (HCM) and Saigon-Ha Noi Securities (SHS).

At the opposite end, energy stocks were pulled down by Wednesday’s sliding oil prices. Decliners include PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services (PVD) and PetroVietnam Technical Services (PVS).

The afternoon session starts at 1pm. – VNS