Blue chips stir; VN-Index stands pat

Hanoi (VNA) - The VN-Index ended the session on Jan. 14 essentially
unchanged, on continued modest trading, gaining a neigligible 0.28 percent to close
at 307.98.

A number of blue chips posted gains, however, including Pha Lai Thermal Power
(PPC), PetroVietnam Drilling (PVD) Vinamilk (VNM) and Vincom (VIC).

Volume on the day way just 6.35 million shares, worth only 166.4 billion VND (9.5
million USD). Most-active share Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) saw a mere 463,570
shares change hands.

Foreign investors were once again net sellers on the day to the tune of about
500,000 shares.

Whether foreign investors return to the stock market this year, as well as export
growth, would be decisive factors for the domestic market this year, said Quach
Manh Hao an analyst at Thang Long Securities Co. during its recent conference on
stock market prospects for 2009.

But analyst Jose Busa predicted both of these factors would improve following the
Tet holiday and that the stock market would warm up by the end of the first
quarter. He recommended healthcare stocks for long-term investment and property
and finance shares for shorter-term profit.

In Hanoi , the HASTC-Index continued closing down 0.22 percent at 104 points.
Trading volume was just 3.4 million shares worth of 72.88 billion VND (4.2
million USD).

Foreign investors were net buyers on the northern bourse by a net of 123,200
shares.

The Hanoi Securities Trading Centre on Jan. 14 welcomed a new listing by Central
Electricity Investment and Development, with the code SEB.

The new share closed off at 14,900 in its first day of trading,-Enditem