Vietnam's benchmark VN-Index climbed to a five-week high on Feb 6, boosted by gains in bank stocks, although trading volume waned. The index closed up 0.15% at 1,271.48 points, its highest point this year so far. This followed a 4.93-point rise in the previous session, with the index ultimately closing 1.87 points higher on the day, according to a report by VNExpress.

Turnover on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), where the main index is traded, decreased by 3% to VND 12.92 trillion ($511.28mn). Within the VN-30 basket, which tracks the 30 largest companies by market capitalisation, 14 stocks advanced while 16 declined. Techcombank (TCB) led the gainers with a 2% jump, followed by Lien Viet Post Bank (LPB), which rose 1.7%. HDBank (HDB) added 1.5%, and conglomerate Vingroup (VIC) saw a 1% increase.

Conversely, 11 blue-chip stocks fell, including Becamex Investment and Industrial Development (BCM), which dropped 1.4%, and dairy giant Vinamilk (VNM), which slipped 1.3%. Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading shares worth VND344bn. Their selling focused primarily on Vinamilk (VNM) and FPT Digital Retail (FRT), according to market data. Elsewhere, the HNX-Index, which tracks stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, where mid- and small-cap companies are listed, rose 0.50%. The UPCoM-Index, covering the unlisted public companies market, also advanced, gaining 0.88%.