An electronic stock quotation board shows local stock prices at a brokerage firm in HCMC. The VN-Index of the southern market closed up 0.69% today, April 2 – PHOTO: THANH HOA

HCMC – The VN-Index of the Hochiminh Stock Exchange extended its winning streak to the fifth consecutive session and closed up 0.69% today, April 2, although the gain narrowed down due to system errors.

Closing the day, the southern bourse saw 274 stocks gain ground and 142 others end in the red. The main index advanced 8.35 points, from the session earlier, at 1,224.45.

Over 661.8 million shares worth VND16.4 trillion changed hands, inching down 1.6% in volume and 3.3% in value, against the previous day. Block deals contributed VND2 trillion to the total value.

Many stocks in the VN30 basket were key supporters of the southern market, with housing developer VHM, dairy firm VNM, steel maker HPG and insurer BVH finishing the session up 1%-2%.

The group of bank stocks also drove the main index higher, with STB, ACB and BID making strong gains. Lender STB still took the lead on the southern bourse by liquidity with a matching volume of 56 million shares.

Due to the selling pressure, many securities stocks reversed course to fall such as VIX, TVS, VCI and AGR, while BSI, CTS, TVB and VDS made a slight rise.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index rose by 2.49 points, or 0.85%, from the day earlier, at 294.89, backed by many largecaps.

Lender NVB and petroleum stock PVC shot up to their ceiling prices at the close, while other large-cap stocks such as industrial development firm IDC, securities firm SHS and industrial firm VCS added over 1%.

Lender SHB was the most actively traded stock on the northern bourse with 46.5 million shares changing hands, but stood at the reference price at the end.