Strong demand send stock index up

With winners outnumbering losers by 287 to 82, the main index gained 1.09% from the session earlier at 1,293.92 points.

Some 440 million shares worth VND15.1 trillion were transacted, down 26% in volume and 22% in value against the previous day. In block deals, there were 20.8 million shares valued at VND1 trillion changing hands.

In the bluechip group, sugar maker SBT shot up to the ceiling prices and reported a matching volume of some three million shares, while brokerage firm SSI, steel maker HPG and electricity firm POW also made strong gains.

All bank stocks were in positive territory, with lender SSB reporting the largest increase of 5.5%.

Many speculative stocks reversed course to end up, with property firm IJC, construction company PHC and real estate firm TEG hitting their ceiling prices.

Several securities stocks finished the day up over 4.5%, including SSI, CTS, HCM and AGR.

On the negative side, local budget carrier VJC dropped by 1.9% at the close, while  housing developer VIC, jewelry firm PNJ, gas firm GAS, consumer goods firm MSN and  retailer VRE dragged the southern market.

Steel maker HPG took the lead on the southern bourse by liquidity with 28.5 million shares changing hands, followed by lender STB with 25.3 million shares traded.

The HNX-Index of the Hanoi Stock Exchange continued its upward spiral, advancing 3.18%, or 9.45 points, against the session earlier, at 306.3.

Lender SHB was one of the main supporters of the northern bourse, closing at its intraday high and reporting a matching volume of 27.3 million shares.

The group of securities stocks were traded actively, with SHS, VND, APS, MBS and BSI rising by 4.4%-6.5%.