Shares of securities firms kept the benchmark VN Index rising on Wednesday morning despite investors increased selling in banks, steel companies to earn profits. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Shares rose slightly on the HCM Stock Exchange on Wednesday morning, boosted by brokerage firms.

The benchmark VN Index gained 0.17 per cent to close at 829.73 points. It was up 1.1 per cent on Tuesday.

Nearly 116 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND2.43 trillion (US$108.3 million).

Shares of securities firms on the southern market continued to perform well to keep the market up.

Large-cap securities stocks advanced, including Saigon Securities Inc (SSI), HCM City Securities (HCM) and FPT Securities (FTS).

However, many stocks turned down in the morning on profit-taking, after they helped boost the market in the previous session.

Those included the two biggest banks, Vietcombank (VCB) and Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BID), and steel producers Hoa Phat (HPG), Tien Len Steel Co (TLH) and Pomina (POM).

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX Index moved up at a slow pace of 0.25 per cent to end the morning session at 110.12 points.

The northern market index had risen total 1.3 per cent in the previous three sessions.

More than 31.8 million shares were exchanged on the northern bourse, worth VND708.5 billion.

The afternoon trade session starts at 1pm. — VNS