Vietnam’s benchmark VN Index was almost unchanged at the break on Wednesday, edging down 0.02 per cent in cautious trade after a strong fall in the previous session.
Losses in a third of the total equities were offset by gains in some big-caps, including PetroVietNam Gas, Vietnam’s top firm by market value, which ticked up 1.31 per cent, and dairy product maker Vinamilk with a 0.99 per cent rise.
VietinBank, Vietnam’s top partly-private lender by assets, extended a drop on Tuesday to fall 2.98 per cent, while Hanoi-based BIDV lost 2.5 per cent.
Brokerages advised investors to stay on the sidelines, expecting weak inflows into the stock market ahead of the February 16-23 Lunar New Year holiday.