Stocks on the Ho Chi Minh City market were on a bumpy ride Thursday as investors took profits during trading.


Heavy buying appeared soon after the opening bell as
most shares fell to a very attractive price before rising, lifting the
VN-index up by 2.22 points, 0.87 percent, in the first session.


But the benchmark index lost the little steam it had
at the end of the second session as investors, who braced themselves
for further falls on the market, sold strongly to take intraday profits.


VN-Index finally nudged down 0.24 point, 0.09 percent,
to close at 245.85. Turnover was 9.4 million shares worth VND170
billion ($9.7 million). Among the index members, 57 advanced and 77
fell.


Analysts from many brokerages anticipated in their
reports that the market will barely recover in the short-term as there
is little positive news to boost it.


Construction and Materials Trading Joint Stock Company
(CNT) tread water at VND10,100. The Ho Chi Minh City-based company
informed the exchange that its deputy general director, Phung Dat Duc,
bought 10,000 shares to raise his stake from 0.23 percent to 0.35
percent on February 16.


Seafood Joint Stock Company No4 (TS4) rose marginally
at 1.52 percent to VND6,700. Citigroup Global Market Ltd and Citigroup
Global Market Financial Products Ltd are no longer the firm’s
substantial shareholders, after selling 59,290 shares to cut their
stake from 5.04 percent to 4.34 percent, the bourse said in a statement
on its website today.


Bibica Corporation (BBC) moved up 4.59 percent to
VND11,400. The confectionery firm registered to buy back 150,000 and
offer them to its workers as a reward before May 25, according to a
report on the exchange’s website.


Tan Tao Group (ITA) lost 4.86 percent to close at
VND17,600. The industrial zone operator has received approval to issue
more than 3.6 million additional shares on the exchange.


Full Power Joint Stock Company (FPC) gained 1.51
percent to VND20,200. The firm, which specializes in setting up
electricity networks at factories and residential areas, said on the
exchange’s website that the chairman and founder, Chen Li Hsun, will
sell 2.6 million shares to lower his holding from 16.22 percent to 8.34
percent.


In Hanoi, the HASTC-Index crept up 0.65 point, 0.77 percent, to close at 85.27.