HANOI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Vietnam's benchmark VN Index

edged up 0.24 percent at the break on Tuesday in mixed trading,

with buying in smaller firms offsetting losses in some blue

chips, analysts said.

Liquidity was higher than in recent days, with 45 million

shares traded on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in the morning

session alone. The five-day average has been 48 million shares,

according to exchange data.

Military Bank lost 0.8 percent, real estate company

Vingroup fell 0.75 percent and pharmaceutical firm DHG

was down 0.9 percent.

Some of the blue chips started to rally from Monday, with

Vinacafe Bien Hoa Co the top riser, advancing 4.55

percent. Insurer Baoviet Holdings, confectionary firm

Kinh Do Corp and Pha Lai Thermal Power climbed

about 1 percent each.

Here is a snapshot of the VN Index at midday (0431

GMT).

VN Index 498.27

PREV. CLOSE 497.07

% CHANGE 0.24%

HIGH 498.86

LOW 495.84

Change (%) 1-mnth -0.086

Change (%) 3-mnth 0.487

Change (%) 1-year 32.46

52-week high 533.15 10-Jun-13

52-week low 372.39 5-Nov-12