Shares fell on the HCM Stock Exchange on Friday morning on strong profit-taking by investors. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Shares fell on the HCM Stock Exchange on Friday morning on strong profit-taking by investors after the market earlier gained rapidly.

The benchmark VN Index inched down 0.13 per cent to close at 891.63 points. Profit-taking pulled the benchmark index down after earlier rising as much as 0.6 per cent.

The VN Index rallied total more than 7.1 per cent in the previous 10 sessions.

Nearly 117.3 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND3.14 trillion (US$139.8 million).

The southern market was dominated by 142 declining stocks against 115 gaining stocks.

Large-cap stocks underperformed with 22 of the 30 largest stocks by market capitalisation on the VN30 Index falling.

Among blue chips that declined were Binh Minh Plastic (BMP), IT group FPT Corp (FPT), DHG Pharmaceutical (DHG), Sacombank (STB) and dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM).

Shares of these companies dropped between 0.1 per cent and two per cent.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX Index edged up 0.13 per cent to end at 108.43 points.

The northern market index gained a total of 3.3 per cent in the previous seven days.

More than 39.8 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VND465.7 billion.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. — VNS