The VN-Index gained 3.15 per cent to close at 289.52 points on the first trading day of the month yesterday.


Volume remained brisk, at 20.5 million shares, for a total value on the day of VND438.98 billion (US$25.1 million). Sacombank (STB) continued to hold the place as the market’s most-active share with 2.4 million traded.


Foreigners yesterday became net sellers with a volume of 1.3 million shares, for a net value of VND25.3 billion ($1.4 million).


"Investors are paying more attention to the movement
of the domestic economy and how major developments directly impact
their investments," said Bui Van Quang, deputy director of SME
Securities Co. "And what Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said at
Tuesday’s Government meeting helped console investors."


During the meeting, Hung predicted Viet Nam’s economy would recover within this year.


The rally on Wall Street was a less significant factor
for the local exchange and other regional markets, Quang said, because
the domestic market was no longer stuck to movements on the US market.


In Ha Noi yesterday, the HASTC-Index peeked its nose
back above its original starting level of 100 points to close at
100.83, a gain of 2.5 per cent on the day. Market volume remained
lively, with 11.9 million shares traded, worth a total of VND223.84
billion ($12. million).


Kim Long Securities ([url="http://www.vietstock.com.vn/vstfinance/StockDetail.aspx?scode=KLS&q=KLS" style="color: rgb(23, 50, 128); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">KLS) claimed the spot as most-active share, with 2.6 million changing hands, followed closely by Asia Commercial Bank (