Increased buying pressure at the end of the session significantly narrowed the VN-Index's decline, but it still closed today in the red. Real estate stocks, in particular, attracted bargain hunters, leading to a widespread increase after a series of sharp declines.
The stock market on March 16 recorded its third consecutive day of decline, although the VN-Index recovered 13 points from its lowest point. After two previous sharp drops, the fear of "catching a falling knife" made bargain-hunting investors cautious. The decrease in liquidity pushed the market into a state of strong divergence.
Real estate stocks attracted capital and rose across the board: NVL hit its ceiling price, NLG increased 6.06 percent, CEO increased 2.63 percent, VRE increased 2.57 percent, HDC increased 1.94 percent, DIG increased 1.11 percent, VHM increased 2.04 percent, NHA increased 2.4 percent; PDR, KDH, KHG, and VIC increased by nearly 1 percent.
The financial sector, encompassing securities and banking, delivered a mixed performance with a slight tilt toward gains. VCK reached its ceiling price, while TCX advanced 2.53 percent, VPX rose 1.31 percent, and VDS added 1.32 percent. Banking stocks also saw modest increases, with SHB up 1.67 percent, STB gaining 1.22 percent, and LPB climbing 1.2 percent. On the downside, VIX slipped 1.52 percent, while MBB, VCB, VPB, VND, BID, and EIB each declined by nearly 1 percent.
The consumer sector delivered a mixed performance during the session. MCH reached its ceiling price, while HUT advanced 2.45 percent and PET gained 2.37 percent. Other notable increases included FRT, PNJ, and HAG, each rising close to 1 percent. In contrast, several stocks moved lower, with VNL down 2.06 percent, TNG falling 2.02 percent, and MWG declining 1.71 percent.
The oil and gas and fertilizer sectors came under intense selling pressure, leading to steep declines across the board. BSR and PVD both hit the floor, while PLX dropped 3.51 percent, PVC 3.32 percent, and PVT 2.23 percent. DCM and DPM also closed at the floor, with DGC down 4.52 percent and LAS plunging 8.91 percent. The only exception was PVS, which managed a late-session rebound, rising 4.5 percent.
At the close of trading, the VN-Index fell 3.03 points (0.18 percent) to 1,693.21 points, with 155 declining stocks, 149 rising stocks, and 74 unchanged stocks. On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index also fell 0.1 points (0.04 percent) to 245.74 points, with 64 declining stocks, 84 rising stocks, and 53 unchanged stocks.
Liquidity decreased sharply, with the total trading value on the HOSE exchange reaching just over VND23,000 billion, a decrease of approximately VND4,500 billion compared to the previous session. Including the HNX exchange, liquidity was only nearly VND24,800 billion.
Foreign investors continued their net selling streak on the HOSE exchange for the third consecutive session, with a total net selling value exceeding VND664 billion. Among the stocks experiencing the strongest net selling, two were oil and gas stocks: BSR (over VND181 billion) and PVD (nearly VND148 billion); the remaining stock was VIC (nearly VND160 billion).
