Experts scrutinise various investment channels in 2025
Experts scrutinise various investment channels in 2025
Should you pour money into gold, invest in real estate, keep funds in the bank, or take risks with cryptocurrency and stocks? These are questions investors face as they navigate 2025.
Economist Le Xuan Nghia predicts that 2025 will not be a year for real estate. Both buyers and sellers remain cautious: buyers hope for lower housing prices, while developers wait for new laws to ease supply challenges.
Gold price is anticipated to further go up in 2025 when the Fed continues its rate cut. Photo: baodautu.vn |
“Localities countrywide will soon announce new land prices. I’m concerned that land prices could surge five to six-fold in some areas. Such a spike could deter investment, even from foreign companies,” Nghia said.
On a more optimistic note, Nguyen Van Dinh, vice chairman of Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA), sees brighter prospects for the real estate market in 2025. He credits institutional reforms, improved planning, and easing difficulties in corporate bonds for this potential growth.
However, the most enduring challenge remains the sharp increase in land price adjustments across localities.
“If price levels are not carefully managed, it will be difficult to resolve supply shortages and control housing costs,” Dinh said, underlining the need for government interventions to ensure land-related fees remain reasonable, stimulating a healthier real estate market.
Ngo Thanh Huan, CEO of FIDT Investment and Asset Management, believes that if market stagnation persists for another six months, buyers will eventually accept higher price levels, potentially warming up the market.
“Capital flows will gradually shift away from apartments and central real estate to other segments. Currently, properties in northern localities near Hanoi are priced below 2021 levels, presenting excellent opportunities for investors,” Huan said.
As for the bullion market, gold had a stellar performance in 2024, achieving record-high prices. With a 28 per cent rise globally, it ranked among the most profitable investment channels, with SJC-branded gold bars in Vietnam climbing 14 per cent and gold jewellery soaring 35 per cent.
Experts, however, remain divided about gold’s 2025 prospects.
Chantele Schieven, head of Research at Capitalight Research, described the market as in a ‘wait-and-see’ mode.
She forecasts gold trading between $2,500 and $2,700 per ounce in the first half of 2025 but expects prices to breach the $3,000 mark later in the year.
Financial expert Phan Dung Khanh warns that gold might already be at its peak, yet any price dips would likely be limited due to strong institutional demand.
“Investors should avoid leverage in gold investments in 2025 and closely monitor geopolitical tensions, interest rate trends, major institutional buy-ins, US dollar movements, and global cash flows,” Khanh said.
From an asset management perspective, Ngo Thanh Huan views 2025 as an economic rebound phase, favouring stocks as the best investment channel during such times.
“Not all stocks guarantee success,” Huan said, citing 2024, when blue-chip investors saw significant gains while mid-cap investors faced losses.
Nguyen Viet Duc, head of Digital Sales at VPBank Securities, shared an optimistic outlook.
“For long-term stock investments, focus should be placed on industry-leading companies with a return on equity (ROE) above 15 per cent,” Duc said. He also highlighted Vietnam's ambitious 8 per cent GDP growth target for 2025, increased FDI, and large-scale project launches as catalysts for the market regaining momentum.
For his part, senior expert Dinh Trong Thinh noted that cryptocurrency was the most profitable investment in 2024 and foresees significant potential for further gains in 2025.
“Despite being unregulated in Vietnam, many investors actively participate in the crypto market,” Thinh said, urging the government to establish legal frameworks for digital and cryptoassets to safeguard investors and prevent tax evasion.
Fraud remains rampant in the crypto space as recent busts, including a TikToker-led scam involving VND5.2 trillion ($216 million) by Pho Duc Nam (known as Mr Pigs) and another forex scam of nearly $20.8 million by Ho Bich Ngoc, underscore the risks.
Against this backdrop, economist Le Xuan Nghia, offered a broader economic perspective, suggesting limited macroeconomic volatility in 2025. While challenges persist in real estate, corporate bonds, and gold markets, he sees opportunities in stocks, albeit not for the majority.
“In my view, above all traditional savings deposits still reign supreme as the preferred choice for most people seeking to safeguard their idle funds,” said Nghia.
