Vietnam index drops 2.2 pct, more falls expected

HANOI, March 3 (Reuters) - Vietnam's benchmark VN Index closed down 2.23 percent on Monday as investors sold stocks before funds were expected to unload shares later this month, while buying demand was not strong enough to provide support, analysts said. More than 70 percent of shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange lost ground, led by food producer Masan Group that fell 4.9 percent. PetroVietNam Gas, Vietnam's largest listed firm, dipped 1.2 percent, while Hanoi-based lender Viet