Local shares slid on Wednesday morning as increased profit taking quickly put an end to the market’s early gain.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange inched down 0.06 per cent to close at 867.72 points.

The benchmark gained as much as 0.57 per cent in the morning session.

The VN-Index dropped 0.35 per cent on Tuesday.

More than 182 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND2.3 trillion (US$99.3 million).

The market rose at the early stage of the day but momentum was lost because of increased profit taking.

Securities firms, rubber, plastics and petrochemicals, real estate, mining and energy, and seafood were the declining sectors with indices falling between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent.

On the positive side, insurance, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, consumer staples, and construction sectors advanced to cushion the market.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index was up 0.02 per cent to close at 114.65 points.

The northern market index slid 0.08 per cent on Tuesday.

More than 29 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VND308 billion.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. — VNS