Brokers, banks and energy firms lift market

The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange gained 0.56 per cent to close at 981.95 points.

The VN-Index rose total 2.1 per cent last week.

Nearly 78 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND1.84 trillion (US$79 million).

Securities firms, banks and petroleum companies were the three groups of stocks with the strongest growth on Monday morning.

The three sector indices were up between 1 per cent and 1.5 per cent, data on vietstock.vn showed.

Shares of banks and securities firms lured investors’ attention for their earnings prospects, analysts told local media last week.

Petroleum stocks advanced on the rise of oil prices on expectations that tension between the US and Iran would disrupt global supply.

Other sectors that also advanced included technology (1.2 per cent), retail (1.6 per cent), construction (2.2 per cent) and food and beverages (0.5 per cent).

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index added 0.55 per cent to end at 106.37 points.

The northern market index inched up total 0.07 per cent last week.

More than 15 million shares were traded on the northern bourse, worth VND202 billion.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm.