The benchmark VN Index rose by 0.4 per cent on Monday morning to close at 724.7 points, as financial and property stocks gained value. — Photo ndh.vn

The benchmark VN Index rose by 0.4 per cent on Monday morning to close at 724.7 points, as financial and property stocks gained value.

On the HCM Stock Exchange, 17 of the 30 largest shares by market value and liquidity rose, most of them being banks, securities companies and real estate firms.

Other than Military Bank (MBB), which slipped 1 per cent, the four other listed banks - Vietcombank (VCB), Vietinbank (CTG), BIDV (BID) and Sacombank (STB) - edged up 0.3 to 1.1 per cent.

Financial firms such as insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), private equity firm Masan Group (MSN), Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) and HCM Securities Corp (HCM) also climbed.

Big property firms including FLC Group (FLC), Tan Tao Investment Industry (ITA), Kinh Bac City Development (KBC) and Hoang Quan Consulting Trading Service Real Estate (HQC) were the most heavily traded stocks, and their shares gained between 0.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent.

Liquidity was high on the southern bourse, with nearly 122 million shares worth around VND2.2 trillion (US$96.5 million) being traded in the morning.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX Index inched up 0.1 per cent to stand at 91.5 points. Only 36.4 million shares worth VND363.6 billion were traded here.

The afternoon session starts at 1pm. — VNS