Vietnam shares gain 1.6 pct as trading band widened

HO CHI MINH CITY, April 7 (Reuters) - Vietnam's stock market opened 1.6 percent higher at 541.42 points on Monday after regulators doubled the intraday share trading band to 2 percent.

The stock index on the over-the-counter Hanoi Securities Trading Center .HASTCI also opened 0.93 percent higher at 195.09 points as the trading band on the exchange was widened to 3 percent from 2 percent.

The band on the main exchange was reduced to 1 percent from 5 percent on March 27 to help halt a slump in share prices. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Jan Dahinten)