Investors at Rong Viet Securities Company. — Photo baodautu.vn

Shares ended mixed on the two local markets on Thursday morning, with investors remaining cautious as market trading condition remained volatile.

The benchmark VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange gained 0.26 per cent to close at 776.22 points. It increased by a total of one per cent in the previous two sessions.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, however, dropped 0.18 per cent to end at 100.38 points, erasing its two-day growth.

Nearly 158 million shares were traded on both local bourses, worth VND2.35 trillion (US$104.7 million).

Energy, food and beverage, property and insurance sectors performed well, recording growth rates of 0.8 per cent, 0.3 per cent, 0.2 per cent and 0.7 per cent, respectively.

Among the gaining stocks were PetroVietnam Gas (GAS), Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM) and Thanh Thanh Cong Tay Ninh Sugar JSC (SBT).

Shares of two agriculture firms Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) and HAGL Agrico (HNG) ended up 3.2 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

On the opposite side, brokerages returned to negative territory and IT firms retreated from their recent gains.

The afternoon session starts at 1pm. — VNS