Shares continued their recent uptrend on the HCM City Stock Exchange this morning but continued to slide on the Ha Noi bourse.

On the southern bourse, the VN-Index gained another 0.55 per cent to close the morning's session at 77.15 points with the value of trades reaching VND515.4 billion (US$24.7 million).

Blue chips led the market rise again despite decliners outnumbered advancers by 104-68 overall. The VN30 tracking the top 30 shares by market capitalisation and liquidity rose 0.43 per cent to 548 points.

Vietinbank (CTG) recovered this morning after a 5.2-per-cent slump yesterday due to heavy foreign sells. CTG is being traded at VND20,400 ($0.98) per share, a rise of 2 per cent compared to yesterday's close.

The overall market is playing the waiting game as it waits to hear the review of the lists of shares included in the FTSE Vietnam Index series. The recent foreign unloading in CTG is believed to be because this stock will be removed from the FTSE Vietnam Index.

Tan Tao Investment Industry (ITA) was again the most active code this morning with trades of 3 million shares, increasing 1.3 per cent to VND8,000 a share.

Meanwhile, the HNX-Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange continued to fall, losing 0.45 per cent to 62.28 points.

Trading was sluggish as just 24 million shares, worth VND189.6 billion ($9.1 million), were traded this morning.

Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB) is temporarily leading the trades on the northern market with 4.5 million shares changing hands but the shares edged up 1.35 per cent to VND7,300.

Trading will resume at 1pm.