Trading Session Overview
During the midday session on August 18, 2026, the Vietnamese stock market remained mixed but leaned toward the positive side. VNINDEX rose 7.3 points, or 0.4%, to 1,734.7 points; total market liquidity reached 217.9 million shares, indicating that cash flow continued to move fairly well among leading groups.
By exchange, HNXINDEX climbed sharply by 1.4% to 282.6 points, while UPCOMINDEX edged down 0.2% to 127.9 points. The overall picture reflects a clear rotation of capital: money continued to flow into large-cap stocks and some speculative names, but the breadth of gains was not yet truly even.
| Exchange | Index | Change | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOSE | VNINDEX 1,734.7 | +0.4% | 217.9 million shares |
| HNX | HNXINDEX 282.6 | +1.4% | 16.2 million shares |
| UPCOM | UPCOMINDEX 127.9 | -0.2% | 7.9 million shares |
Notable Stocks
On HOSE, the top gainers included PLX, up 6.9%, CMV, up 6.9%, and FDC, up 7.0%. These stocks are drawing attention thanks to strong price gains, while liquidity across the exchange remained concentrated in a few leading names.
On the downside, STG fell 6.9%, VID dropped 6.3%, and UIC declined 6.3%. The deep corrections in some stocks suggest that the risk of divergence remains high, particularly for shares that had rallied sharply beforehand.
| Ticker | Exchange | Change |
|---|---|---|
| PLX | HOSE | +6.9% |
| CMV | HOSE | +6.9% |
| FDC | HOSE | +7.0% |
| STG | HOSE | -6.9% |
| VID | HOSE | -6.3% |
| UIC | HOSE | -6.3% |
Trading volume also favored actively traded names such as SHB with 13.8 million shares, BSR with 12.4 million shares, and VIX with 10.5 million shares. This reinforces the view that capital is rotating aggressively within the most closely watched stocks of the session.
Sector Analysis
The Oil & Gas sector stood out the most, with BSR up 4.2%, PLX up 6.9%, and GAS up 5.4%. This was the session's major bright spot, showing that capital is favoring stocks with their own growth stories and strong trading appeal.
In the Banking sector, performance was relatively mixed: VPB fell 0.8%, SHB dropped 0.9%, and TCB declined 2.2%, while HDB and VCB both edged up slightly. The Financial Services sector also showed selectivity, with VIX rising 0.4%, VND gaining 0.3%, and SSI slipping 0.3%.
In the Real Estate sector, VIC rose 0.9%, VHM gained 1.3%, and NVL increased 0.4%, while DXG fell 2.6% and KDH dropped 0.8%. This suggests that capital remains present in large-cap names, but has not yet formed a broad-based, sector-wide uptrend.
Notable Technical Signals
Within the technical signal group, TVS posted a composite score of 73.7 with RSI at 69, MACD showing a bullish price trend, and mixed EMAs; HCM reached 70.9 with RSI at 50, MACD showing a bullish price trend, and bullish EMAs; HDB scored 70.7 with RSI at 69, MACD showing a bullish price trend, and bullish EMAs. These stocks are among those worth watching, as the overall signal backdrop remains relatively positive.
Right behind them are SMB with a composite score of 68.9 and NHT with 68.9. These signals point to continued high selectivity, and they reinforce that the market is favoring stocks with stronger technical foundations over broad-based gains.
| Ticker | Composite Score | Signals |
|---|---|---|
| TVS | 73.7 | RSI 69, MACD bullish, EMAs mixed |
| HCM | 70.9 | RSI 50, MACD bullish, EMAs bullish |
| HDB | 70.7 | RSI 69, MACD bullish, EMAs bullish |
HNX and UPCOM
On HNX, stocks with the strongest gains included SMT up 9.7%, STP up 9.6%, PJC up 9.6%, and PGS up 9.2%. Trading volume stood out in SHS with 2.7 million shares, PVS with 2.5 million shares, and CEO with 1.3 million shares, reflecting cash flow concentrating in a few leading names.
On UPCOM, volatility was sharper but also riskier: DNN rose 39.3%, RTB rose 15.0%, and BCP rose 14.9%, while FTI fell 32.4%, VTS fell 14.8%, and VUA fell 14.7%. This segment best illustrates the market's high degree of divergence during the session.
Short-Term Outlook
Technically, VNINDEX continues to hold above the 1,730-point zone, while the nearby level to watch is 1,740 points. If cash flow keeps flowing into leading groups and spreads to other sectors, the index could retest higher resistance levels. Conversely, the sharp divergence on UPCOM and corrections in some speculative stocks could cause short-term market swings.
Given the current picture, the market still leans toward a positive stance, but the durability of the trend will depend on its ability to sustain liquidity and on consensus among leading sectors in the sessions ahead.