Shares inched up on the main bourse in HCM City during the first session after the National Reunification and International Labour holidays. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Shares inched up on the main bourse in HCM City during the first session after the National Reunification and International Labour holidays.

The benchmark VN-Index was up 0.1 per cent at 718.3 points.

Financial stocks such as banks, insurers and securities companies were among the major supporters. They included Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Vietinbank (CTG), Military Bank (MBB), Vietcombank (VCB), Sacombank (STB), Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) and HCM Securities Corp (HCM).

On the defense side, oil and gas stocks slumped with the downward movement of global oil.

Major listed energy shares such as PV Gas (GAS), PetroVietnam Drillings and Well Service (PVD), PetroVietnam Drilling Mud (PVC) and PetroVietnam Technical Service (PVS) declined between 0.5 per cent and 5.1 per cent.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index edged down 0.2 per cent at 89.4 points.

A total of nearly 139 million shares worth VND2.4 trillion (US$105.3 million) were traded in the two markets.

The afternoon session starts at 1pm. — VNS