The VN-Index extended a 12% year-to-date rally on Monday, rising about 0.4% to its highest level since 2008. Banks again featured among the top contributors of the day with investors taking profits in some recent high-flyers, such as MBB (-1.3%) and BID (-2.6%) while extending gains in other, such as STB (+3.3%) and CTG (+3.4%), which reached an 18-month high.