Shares are rising steadily on both national stock exchanges despite low openings.

On the HCM City Stock Exchange, the VN-Index added 0.46 per cent to stand at 403.18 points, boosted by blue chip gains.

Most of the top 30 shares on the southern bourse are climbing in value, with the VN30 rising 0.51 per cent to 471.53 points.

Property developers Kinh Bac City Development (KBC) and Tan Tao Investment Industry (ITA) led the gainers with rises of 3.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent, respectively. Dairy giant Vinamilk (VNM) was up 2.9 per cent, insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) 1.1 per cent, and PetroVietnam Finance (PVF) 1.2 per cent.

KBC was also the most active code, traded at VND5,600 a share with 2.24 per cent changing hands.

Overall, more than 33 million shares worth VND556.3 billion (US$26.5 million) were exchanged by the end of this morning.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index also rose 0.44 per cent to a close of 55.28 points, with trading value reaching more than VND223.8 billion ($10.7 million).

Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) is holding a shareholders' meeting this morning to review the bank's operations this year and elect four board members to replace those who resigned after the arrest of Nguyen Duc Kien, one of ACB's founding members, in August.

ACB rose 1.2 per cent, but trades were modest with just 244,200 shares exchanged by the end of this morning.

Real estate company Sacomreal (SCR) is currently the most active code on the northern bourse with trades of 5.7 million shares, climbing 6.78 per cent at VND6,300 a share.
Trading will resume at 1pm.