Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Experts have made differing predictions about the trendof the local stock market next week, saying it remained hard to forecast asprice movements have been sensitive.

The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock exchange (HoSE) lost 0.50 percent to endthe August 14 session at 850.74 points.

The index had gained 1.1 percent last week.

An average of 278.3 million shares were traded on the southern exchange duringeach session last week, worth 4.6 trillion VND (199 million USD).

“The VN-Index is forecast to face correction pressure during early tradingsessions next week. The index will receive support from 840 points,” said TranXuan Bach, a stock analyst at Bao Viet Securities Co.

“Overall, we maintain our expectation that the index will soon break the upwardresistance of 858-860 points and head toward the strong resistance of 878-883points in the short term,” he said.

“The market may fluctuate considerably next week with the maturity of Augustfutures contracts. Besides, the review sessions of funds bench-marking MSCIFrontier Market Index will take place during the last weeks of August andpossibly trigger wild fluctuations for blue-chip indices of their baskets,” Bachsaid.

According to Viet Dragon Securities Company, during August 14’s tradingsession, indices rose at the beginning but could not keep their pace due tolarge profit-taking pressure.

This showed that market could still correct and had yet to reach the balance.Investors should not rush to participate in the market to preserve accounts,the company said.

Ngo Quoc Hung, senior analyst at MB Securities Co's market strategy department,said that from now until the end of this year, the stock market was stillheavily dependent on the unpredictable developments of external elements suchas the COVID-19 pandemic, US-China trade tensions and the US presidentialelection in November.

“With so many uncertain variables, it is too early to forecast a long-termrecovery period for the market. Instead of making predictions, investors shouldprepare for different scenarios to respond in accordance with marketdevelopments,” he said.

Foreign traders continued their selling. On the HoSE, foreign investors netsold 208 billion VND on August 14, up 61 percent compared to the net sellingvalue in the previous session. They have been net sellers for six consecutivesessions on HoSE with a total value of up to 832 billion VND.

According to BIDV Securities Company, local investors should keep a close watchon the net selling activities of foreign investors.

If this net selling trend continues with high volume while the global marketexperiences negative movements, the market will face significant pressure inthe short run, it said.

Last week, the oil and gas sector posted highest gains of 4.4 percent, withnotable gainers of PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS),PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil), Binh Son Refining and PetrochemicalCompany Limited (BSR), PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services Co (PVD) andVietnam National Petroleum Group (PLX).

Consumer service sector also outperformed with an increase of 3.2 percent.Banking sector rose by 2.4 percent.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index lost 0.54 percent to end August 14’ssession at 116.23 points.

The northern market index had gained 3.06 percent last week.

An average of 76.5 million shares were traded on the northern exchange duringeach session last week, worth 1.2 trillion VND./.