The benchmark index added 14.85 points, or 1.25%, from the session earlier to close at 1,200.94 points, with winning stocks outnumbering losers by 250 to 178. The southern market saw 628.6 million shares worth over VND15.4 trillion change hands, decreasing 10% in volume and 3% in value compared with the previous session. Some 58.3 million shares worth nearly VND1.88 trillion were traded in block deals.

Bank stocks were the main driver of the local stock market, with TCB being the biggest gainer, soaring 4.1% to VND41,950, followed by BID, which went up 3.9% to VND45,000. VPB, CTG and VCB rose 2% or more, closing the day up 2.8% to VND45,850, 2.4% to VND40,500 and 2% to VND97,500, respectively. MSB, ACB and TPB increased 1% or more, while MBB, STB and LPB inched up less than 1%.

Other contributors were housing developer KDH, going up 2.2% to VND32,200, dairy producer VNM, up 2% to VND102,500 and consumer goods producer MSN, up 1.9% to VND89,700. Both insurer BVH and property stock VIC rose 1.8%, ending at VND60,700 and VND106,600, respectively. HPG, NVL, VJC, PDR and PNJ increased between 0.6% and 1.6%.

Among the bluechips, only some lost ground, including petroleum stocks GAS and PLX, electricity firm POW and financial services company TCH.

Bank stocks were also the cash magnets. STB, TCB and CTG had 20 million, 16.4 million and 16 million shares changing hands, respectively. CTG, MBB, MSB and ACB also had more than 10 million shares traded each.

In the group of speculative stocks, real estate corporation HQC and agricultural company HNG led the southern bourse in terms of liquidity. HQC had 25 million shares changing hands and that of HNG was 23.3 million. However, HQC fell 2.3% to VND2,900 and HNG fell 2.8% to VND12,000.

Many small and medium stocks shot up to the ceiling prices, including HAP, TGG, TSC, PAN, ELC, VNE, NHA, SGR, SAV and TVB.

In contrast, RIC of Royal International Corporation dropped to the floor price at VND22,500 for the 10th straight session.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index went up 0.34%, or 0.93 point, to close at 277.48 points, with 87 winning stocks and 91 losing ones. There were more than 143 million shares worth some VND1.64 trillion changing hands on the northern bourse.

Lender SHB was the biggest gainer, soaring 3.2% to VND19,500, followed by securities company SHS, which rose 2.9% to VND28,800. SHB also took the lead in terms of liquidity with 62.4 million shares changing hands.