Benchmark indices tumbled on both national stock exchanges on June 2 as selling pressure intensified during afternoon trading.

Foreign investors continued as net buyers of 131 billion VND (6.23 million USD) shares with the focus on large-cap stocks, including Masan Group (MSN), PetroVietnam Fertilisers and Chemicals Corporatioin (DPM) and PetroVietnam Gas Corporation (GAS).

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, the VN-Index shed 5.22 points, equivalent to 0.93 percent, to end at 556.8 points.

Most of the market pillars fell on June 2 with the VN30-Index, tracking the performance of the southern bourse's 30 largest stocks by capitalisation and liquidity, dropping 7.01 points to 610.99 points.

Only three codes in the VN30 managed to advance, including Eximbank (EIB), PetroVietnam Low Pressure Gas Distribution Corporation (PGD) and Vinamilk (VNM), and six others closed at their reference prices.

Becamex IJC (IJC) lost 6.4 percent to close at its floor price of 11,700 VND (0.55 USD) a share.

Decliners included Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Da Nang Rubber Corporation (DRC), Hoa Sen Group (HSG) and Vingroup (VIC).

Overall, on the southern bourse, decliners outnumbered advancers by 166-60.

Trading volume and value were at low levels as a result of poor demand, with a modest 80.2 million shares changing hands, worth 1.17 trillion VND (55.7 million USD).

FLC Group (FLC) led the southern bourse by trading volume with a massive 14.3 million shares traded, following by Tan Tao Group (ITA) with 4.7 million shares changing hands.

On Hanoi Exchange, the HNX-Index finished at 74.81 points, dropping 1.31 percent and the HNXFF-Index, composed of stocks with a minimum free float rate of 5 percent, fell by 1.46 percent to 75.28 points.

The loss was mostly felt by large-cap stocks with the HNX30-Index, tracking the top 30 stocks, seen falling by 2.29 percent to 148.64 points, coupled with weak capital inflow.

With around 52.4 million shares traded, trading value reached 468.3 billion VND (22.3 million USD).-VNA