The VN-Index opened higher on Thursday and stayed in the green throughout the session, closing up 0.4% to just below a fresh nine-year high. Investor confidence was bolstered by news Vietnam's GDP expanded 6.2% in the second quarter, up from 5.2% growth in Q1 (see our note above for details). Banks led the move higher today with BID (+1.8%) the top contributor to the index's gains. MBB (+2.3%), which hit a record high, and VCB (+0.4%) also helped push the market higher.