Index snaps 11-day losing streak

Hanoi (VNA) - The VN-Index on Feb. 25 snapped an 11-day losing streak, regaining
8.83 points, or 3.75 percent, to close at 244.33.

Trading volume reached 9.2 million shares on a turnover of 173.3 billion VND (10.2
million USD). The day witnessed an astonishing 149 winners - the majority of which
hit the ceiling of the regulated trading band - and 15 losers.

"The market turnaround this session really came out of the blue," said the head of
SME Securities Co's analysis department, Hoang Thach Lan.

Lan figured that the State Bank of Vietnam 's move on Feb. 23 to lower the
compulsory VND reserves requirement imposed on commercial banks was supporting news
for the market.

Dramatic US stock rallies, and words from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke
that nationalisation of major banks was not imminent, also gave some relief to the
domestic exchange, according to VNDirect Securities analysts.

Activity on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on Feb. 25 was concentrated in a few
major stocks, including Saigon Securities Inc (SSI), with a volume of 992,000
shares, followed by Cables and Telecom Materials (SAM) with 619,000 shares, and
Sacombank (STB) with 514,000.

And Feb. 25's gains came despite accelerated sales by foreign investors, who were
net sellers of 1.1 million shares, worth 21.2 billion VND (1.2 million USD).

The Hanoi market, meanwhile, saw gainers outnumber loser 132 to 13. The
HASTC-Index closed 4.96 percent higher at 81.93, with as trading volume of 5.9
million shares and a total value of 108.4 billion VND (6.4 million USD).-Enditem