Shares rose in the final minutes of yesterday's session on the HCM City Stock Exchange, lifting the VN-Index to a close of 510.74, an overall gain on the day of 0.4 per cent over Tuesday's level.
The value of the day's trades increased by 9 per cent to VND1.3 trillion (US$68.4 million) on a volume of over 40.4 million shares.
Gainers outnumbered decliners by 105-77, with Sacombank (STB) claiming the position as most-active share, with nearly 3 million traded.
Affected by the overnight decline of the US market, investors were cautious in their investment throughout much of yesterday's session, slowing trading. But a number of penny shares rebounded in the final minutes, saving the VN-Index from an overall loss on the day.
Real estate shares were particularly strong gainers yesterday, including Tan Tao Investment Industry Company (ITA), Tu Liem Urban Development Company (NTL), Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) and Vincom (VIC), although DIC Investment and Trading Company (DIC), MT Gas Holding (MTG), Tai Nguyen Company (TNT) and Viet-Han Company (VHG) all finished strongly.
The HCM City market also welcomed new listings yesterday by Mekophar Chemical and Pharmaceutical Company (MKP), Sai Gon Beverage and Transportation Company (SBC) and Petroleum Equipment Assembly and Metal Structure Company (PXS), raising the total number of listed companies to 239.
On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index fell by 0.47 per cent to a close of 162.15 points. The volume of trades fell slightly to around 30 million shares, worth a combined VND969 billion ($51 million).
Advancers outnumbered decliners by 148-110 on the northern bourse, with PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) once again the most heavily-traded share on the market, with 3.1 million changing hands.
While the eurozone debt crisis has affected investor psychology, it has had little practical impact, commented the head of APEC Securities Co's analysis department, Nguyen Thanh Binh.
The crisis did not affect the Vietnamese economy or stock market much in practical terms, agreed the director of Dong A Securities Co's business department, Lawrence Wolfe.
Foreign direct investment from the eurozone accounted for only 13 per cent of the Viet Nam's total FDI, Wolfe said.
Foreign investors also continued to demonstrate confidence in the Vietnamese stock market, once again becoming net buyers on both national stock exchanges by a net value of VND64 billion ($3.4 million).