Hanoi (VNA) –Shares started the new trading week on a positive note with the benchmarkVN-Index rising 1.01 percent to close December 4 at 970.02 points.

Investors were excited with the market outlook and poured money in stocks withsolid confidence that the VN-Index will soon break the 1,000-point threshold.

Over 270 million shares worth 6.22 trillion VND (272.8 million USD) were tradedon December 4 on the HCM Stock Exchange, up 18.6 percent in trading volume and17.6 percent in trading value compared to the previous session.

“The increasing cash flow of investors will be great motivation for stocks tocontinue increasing,” analysts at BIDV Securities Joint Stock Company (BSC)wrote in a note on December 4.

The VN-Index will likely approach the 1,000-point level shortly, theypredicted.

Vietnam’s benchmark stock index gained 13.5 percent in the past month and hasclimbed 44.5 percent since the beginning of this year.

Large-cap stocks continued to fuel market momentum, as 23 of the top 30 largestshares by market value and liquidity on the HCM Stock Exchange gained value andonly five corrected down.

ꦰ[VN ranks third among fastest-growing global stock markets]

PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services (PVD) and Hoa Sen Group (HSG) both hitthe daily rise limit of 7 percent. The biggest listed stocks like Vinamilk(VNM) soared 3.6 percent; Vietcombank (VCB) and VinGroup (VIC), rose over 2 percenteach; and Saigon Securities Inc (SSIb), was up 5.6 percent.

Brewer Sabeco (SAB) slowed down its growth to just 0.7 percent in the afternoonunder rising profit-taking pressure but remained the most expensive stock,priced at 323,300 VND (14.18 USD) a share.

Overall market condition was positive with 171 stocks rising, 121 falling and54 closing flat.

According to FPT Securities Joint Stock Company, given the rising divergenceamong large-cap stocks, investors may seize opportunities appearing in small-and mid-cap stocks which have not increased much in the past rallies to takeadvantage of the uptrend spillover effect and reduce correction risks with manylarge caps.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index was up 1.05 percent to close December4 at 116.70 points.

Liquidity was also positive with nearly 98 million shares worth 1.3 trillionVND being traded.

The northern market index rose 4.2 percent last week, expanding over 44 percentthis year.-VNA