HÀ NỘI — The domestic stock market extended gains on Monday, reaching the 1,400-point milestone driven by strong liquidity and investors' positive sentiment. Meanwhile, foreign investors continued their strong buying spree on the southern bourse.

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index increased by 15.09 points, or 1.09 per cent, to 1,402.06 points, marking its biggest daily gain in a month. 

Investor enthusiasm kept the index in positive territory throughout the trading session. In previous sessions, the index had frequently approached the 1,400-point mark, but ultimately saw its gains diminish due to profit-taking pressure. This trend had been anticipated by many analysts, as the market had been striving to reclaim this milestone for over three years.

The market's breadth was positive, with 224 stocks increasing, while 87 ticker symbols finished lower. Liquidity on the southern bourse rose from last Friday to VNĐ28.29 trillion (US$1.1 billion). 

The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks in terms of market capitalisation on HoSE, also inched higher. The index closed at 1,508.66 points, up 19.89 points, or 0.34 per cent. 

Up to 27 stocks in the VN30 basket ticked up, with one hitting the ceiling price, while two went down and one stayed unchanged. 

Banking, securities and blue-chip stocks experienced robust buying activity, fuelled by expectations of a potential market upgrade. 

Notably, shares of Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) recorded the biggest daily gain of 7 per cent, with an impressive trading volume of nearly 250 million units. 

This momentum extended to several other banking stocks, including Vietinbank (CTG) up 4 per cent, BIDV (BID) up 1.78 per cent, and VPBank (VPB) up 2.93 per cent.

Securities stocks like VIX Securities Corporation (VIX), SSI Securities Corporation (SSI), Saigon-Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS), and VNDirect Securities Corporation (VND) also rose at least 1.5 per cent. 

In its latest report, Vietcombank Securities (VCBS) said that the valuation of the VN-Index is currently aligned with the regional average, forecasting a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio between 13.9x and 15.3x for 2025.

The report suggests that the VN-Index could reach 1,555 points, with earnings per share (EPS) projected to rise by 12 per cent. 

In a favourable scenario where the market is upgraded, the index could climb to 1,663 points, potentially attracting an additional foreign capital inflow of between $1.3-1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025.

Similarly, SHS predicted that the market could break out, aiming for the 1,420-point range.

The HNX-Index on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) also finished higher, up 3.39 points, or 1.46 per cent, to 235.9 points. 

Investors poured over VNĐ2.2 trillion into the northern market, equivalent to a trading volume of 130 million shares. 

Meanwhile, foreign investors remained net buyers on HoSE, after net purchasing a significant number of shares worth over VNĐ1.23 trillion. They also net buyers ofVNĐ66.52 billion on HNX. — BIZHUB/VNS