The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange lost 6.2 per cent to end the morning session at 1,118 points. Photo cafef.vn

Shares fell lower on Tuesday morning as massive selling pressure weighed down on the overall market.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange lost 6.2 per cent to end the morning session at 1,118 points.

Nearly 828 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VND16 trillion (US$695.4 million).

The large-cap tracker VN30-Index was down 6.27 per cent to 1,099.81 points.

All 30 of the 30 large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket decreased.

A number of blue-chips lost ground such as insurer Bảo Việt Holdings (BVH), steel maker Hoà Phát Group (HPG), Masan Group (MSN), Vingroup (VIC), Vinamilk (VNM), Vietnam National Petroleum Group (PLX), Vincom Retail (VRE), Phú Nhuận Jewelry (PNJ), Vinhomes (VHM) and Mobile World Group (MWG).

Banking group also slumped with Vietcombank (VCB), Military Bank (MBB), VPBank (PVB) and Techcombank (TCB) all falling.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index lost 3.87 per cent to 221.57 points.

More than 206 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VNĐ2.9 trillion.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. — VNS