The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange experienced a fall in shares due to increased profit taking activity on June 3.

The benchmark VN-Index slid 0.26 percent to close at 517.03 points, led by slumping blue chips.

Over half of the top 30 shares by market capitalisation and liquidity edged down, pushing the VN30 down 0.18 percent to 580.89 points.

Market volume and value totalled nearly 76 million shares worth 1.174 trillion VND (55.9 million USD).

Tan Tao Investment Industry Corp (ITA) continued to be the most active code on the southern bourse, closing unchanged at 7,700 VND a share.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index concluded at 64.89 points, up 0.42 percent over May 31.

Trading was sluggish as both market volume and value were down from the previous session, reaching 50.6 million shares worth 425.45 billion VND (20.3 million USD), down 30 percent in volume and 25 percent in value.

Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB) again led the market here on trades of nearly eight million shares, rising 1.35 percent to 7,500 VND a share.

Foreign investors concluded as net sellers of 20 billion VND (952,000 USD) worth of shares on the HCM City market but increased their buys on the Hanoi exchange, picking up 13.3 billion VND (633,000 USD) worth of shares.-VNA