Vietnamese banks remain attractive to foreign investors
Vietnamese banks are still attractive to foreign investors thanks to the country’s economy and strong resilience to unprecedented difficulties and challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Customers at a VPBank branch in Hanoi. (Photo: VPB)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnamese banks are still attractive to foreigninvestors thanks to the country’s economy and strong resilience tounprecedented difficulties and challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Fitch Ratings raising the overall outlook for Vietnam from"Stable" to "Positive", several Vietnamese banks have alsobeen rated positive by the international rating agency. The rating hasconfirmed the strength of Vietnamese banks in adapting and maintainingstability even amid difficult times.
Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Vietnam is still considered abright spot in the global economy. According to a recent analysis, AsianDevelopment Bank assessed that Vietnam's economy would grow strongly this yearat 6.7 percent and 7 percent in 2022 despite the resurgence of COVID-19.
Many Vietnamese banks have also become more active in looking for foreignpartners with an aim to realise their set goals and strategies.
VPBank in April signed an agreement to sell a 49 percent stake in FE Credit toJapan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Finance Group (SMFG) in a transaction that values thenon-bank lender at 2.8 billion USD.
Through this transaction, FE Credit is expected to receive support in capitalresources, management capacity and experience in the consumer finance sector inAsia from SMBC Group, especially SMBCCF - a leading consumer finance company inthe Japanese market.
At the same time, this transaction will add a large amount of capital toVPBank, contributing to enhancing the bank's financial potential to capture newinvestment opportunities in the market.
At SHB, to find and select foreign investors who can support and bring the bestbenefits to the bank as well as its shareholders and customers, the SHB’sgeneral meeting of shareholders recently approved fixing the foreign ownershiprate of 10 percent to find and select strategic partners. The bank alsoapproved the ownership ratio of foreign strategic investors at the bank to benot more than 20 percent of charter capital.
Nguyen Van Le, General Director of SHB, said there were now several financialgroups, banks and large investment funds in the world that wanted to becomeinvestors in SHB.
SHB also planned to issue international bonds with a total value of 500 millionUSD with a term of 3-5 years. According to Le, for shareholders, the issuanceof bonds to the international market not only increases profit margins and addsvalue to shareholders through the dividend plan, but also contributes toimproving the value of each shareholder in the long run./.
A number of banks have increased bond issuance to attract mid-term and long-term capital, leading to changes in capital mobilisation in the corporate bond market in the second quarter.
Vietnam Report Joint Stock Company has recently announced Vietnam’s Top 10 prestigious and effective public companies in 2021 with six of them in banking and finance sectors including Vietcombank, ACB, VPBank, VIB, MBBank and Techcombank.
The new Government decree also simplifies loan procedures while expanding credit incentives to include organic and circular agriculture, allowing them to access preferential terms similar to those of high-tech and value-chain based agricultural production.
Developed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Da Nang FTZ is designed to become a leading regional economic centre and a strategic growth pole in Vietnam’s new development landscape.
The Binh Duong Association of Supporting Industries (BASI) is expected to promote the usage of domestically manufactured components while supporting businesses in accessing international markets, strengthening linkages, and promoting deeper integration into global supply chains.
PwC Vietnam forecasts a vibrant M&A market in Vietnam’s healthcare sector in 2025, driven by rising demand for high-quality medical services and a growing middle class. Pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, and specialised medical facilities, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology, are predicted to be key targets for M&A.
The central province of Quang Nam is set to become a hub for the medicinal plant industry, with Ngoc Linh ginseng designated as the core crop, under the Prime Minister's decision issued earlier this year.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Customers at a VPBank branch in Hanoi. (Photo: VPB) 
