A BIDV office. Bank stocks advanced strongly to boost local markets on Thursday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

Local shares rose on Thursday morning, driven by banking and plastic and chemical sectors.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange was up 0.47 per cent to close at 861.48 points.

The VN-Index fell 1.34 per cent on Wednesday.

The minor HNX-Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange advanced 0.84 per cent to end at 109.80 points.

The northern market index dropped 1.45 per cent in the previous day.

More than 197 million shares were traded on the two exchanges, worth VND3.25 trillion (US$139.3 million).

Shares of banks, and plastic and chemical firms boosted the stock market.

The two sector indices were up 1.4 per cent and 1.0 per cent, according to vietstock.vn.

Among gaining bank stocks were Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB), Sacombank (STB), Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID), and Vietcombank (VCB).

Plastic and chemical stocks advanced as oil prices tumbled on Thursday morning.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. — VNS