Vietnamese shares advanced in the early session, while investors purchased mid-cap and small-cap stocks instead of blue chips.

The benchmark VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange added 0.5 per cent to close at 629.51 points.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange inched up 0.2 per cent to end at 84.99 points.

Investors remained cautious in the early session and avoided large-cap stocks, waiting for the final decision from Britain's voting on the country's membership in the European Union.

Some blue chips helped lift markets, including dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM), PetroVietnam Gas Corp (GAS), property and retail firm Vingroup JSC (VIC) and Vietcombank (VCB).

VNM gained 0.7 per cent, GAS edged up 0.8 per cent, VIC increased by 1 per cent and VCB was up 1.1 per cent.

Instead of blue chips, investors focused on purchasing small-cap and mid-cap stocks, especially healthcare service providers such as Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC (DHT), Lam Dong Pharmaceutical JSC (LDP) and Ben Tre Pharmaceutical JSC (DBT).

Gains in small-cap and mid-cap stocks helped lift market liquidity. Investors exchanged some 65.5 million shares worth VND1.38 trillion (US$61.4 million).

Source VNS