The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange made a correction on Wednesday as investors sold off to book profits from the previous rallies.


VN-Index, the gauge of 177 leading companies and four closed-end funds, fell following three days of rising, losing 7.78, or 2.24 percent, to close at 339.29.


Turnover surged to a fresh record high of 57 million shares worth VND1.26 trillion ($70.8 million). Of the index members, 122 declined and 44 advanced.


Foreign investors continued to buy heavily, pumping in VND78.8 billion worth of shares.


Brokers said the market fell over profit-taking, but heavy trading volume encouraged them to believe VN-Index will rise further.


Financial stocks, including Saigon Securities Inc. ([url="http://www.vietstock.com.vn/vstfinance/StockDetail.aspx?scode=SSI&q=SSI" target=_blank>SSI) and Sacombank (VF1 (VFMVF1) closed higher 2.22 percent at VND9,200. The closed-end fund announced on the exchange’s Web site that its total assets on April 9 were worth more than VND1.7 trillion ($95.5 million) for a net asset value, or HBC) dropped 4,12 percent VND18,600. PetroVietnam Finance Joint-Stock Corporation (