The VN-Index fell to its lowest level since July 24 on Tuesday, closing down one percent. Today was the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which is traditionally recognized as Hungry Ghost Month, a period when Vietnamese tend to avoid major financial decisions. This may help explain why trading volume in HCMC slid to USD127 million, one of the lowest amounts of the year and well below the average of the past year of USD148 million.