Vietnamese shares fell slightly on Wednesday morning with low trading liquidity as investors were cautious with the conditions.

The benchmark VN Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange was down 0.03 per cent to end at 909.43 points.

The southern market index gained 0.87 per cent on Tuesday.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange dropped 0.16 per cent to close at 102.42 points, retreating from the previous 1 per cent growth.

More than 81.3 million shares were traded on the two exchanges, worth nearly VND2 trillion (US$85.5 million).

Foreign investors were cautious with the current market trading conditions after British prime minister Theresa May lost against lawmakers regarding her Brexit divorce deal.

The latest defeat could “lead to a disorderly exit from the EU or even to a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave,” Reuters reported.

Foreign investors were waiting for the impacts of the latest vote results on the European and US stock markets.

Meanwhile, as there are two weeks left till the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, domestic investors seemed unwilling to buy local stocks.

Half of the 20 sector indices on the stock market declined while the other half increased.

Decliners included banking, rubber, plastics, chemicals, consumer staples, transportation and logistics.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. — VNS