Taipei - Taiwan's stock market shed nearly 4 per cent Monday due to investors' fears that the US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc may declare bankruptcy.

In mid-morning trading, the TAIEX index fell 211.39 points, or 3.35 per cent, to 6,099.29 points.

After Lehman Brothers announced last week that it has lost more than 18 billion US dollars in the last three quarters due to enormous write-offs from the ongoing US credit crisis, it has been looking for a buyer but has also hinted it may be forced to declare bankruptcy. (dpa)