Information indicating a likely increase of foreign holdings in listed companies helped extend share gains on both exchanges this morning.

According to a source from the newspaper Thoi bao kinh te Sai Gon (Sai Gon Economic Times), the regulation allowing foreigners to raise their holdings in listed companies by another 10 per cent without voting will likely be issued in the first quarter of this year.
Blue chips responded positively to the news as all of the top 30 shares on the southern bourse climbed this morning, lifting the VN-Index by 1.84 per cent to 460.74 points and the VN30 was up 1.58 per cent to 540.51 points.

Trading improved slightly on the HCM City bourse with more than 47 million shares, worth VND642.4 billion (US$30.7 million), changing hands.

Tan Tao Industry Investment (ITA) continued to be the most active code on trades of 5.5 million shares, rising 4.5 per cent to VND7,000 a share.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index also climbed 0.95 per cent to finish this morning at 61.75 points on a total turnover of VND276.55 billion ($13.2 million).
Trading will resume at 1pm.