HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The VN-Index inched up 0.1 per cent to end at 639.36 points, propped up by several blue chips, despite falling most of the trading time this morning.

The market condition was negative, with the losers outnumbering the gainers by 109 to 77, while 118 closed flat.

Only nine of the top 30 shares by market value and liquidity on the HCM Stock Exchange gained value, while 13 declined. The VN30 decreased 0.17 per cent to end at 659.39 points.

Masan Group (MSN) and Phu My Fertiliser (DPM) added more than three per cent each, and PetroVietnam Drilling and Wells Service (PVD) rose 1.7 per cent. Other sectors had both losers and gainers.

Nearly 72 million shares worth VND1.56 trillion (US$71.6 million) were traded by the end of the morning. Vietinbank (CTG) was temporarily leading the trading here, with 5.2 million of its shares being exchanged, advancing 0.44 per cent to close at VND22,800 ($1.05) each.

Without blue chip support, the HNX-Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange edged down 0.53 per cent to finish at 88.27 points. The trading value was a modest VND388.4 billion ($17.8 million).

FIT Investment Co (FIT) was the most active code, with 5.9 million of its shares being traded, but its price tumbled more than four per cent to reach VND11,600 ($0.53) each.

The afternoon session will start at 1pm. —  VNS