Ensure stock market upgrade by Sept: minister

Ensure stock market upgrade by Sept: minister

At the gong-striking ceremony this morning, the Finance Minister urges swift resolution of bottlenecks to meet key criteria for a stock market upgrade by September.

Minister of Finance Nguyễn Văn Thắng beats the gong at the ceremony on Monday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

A ceremonial strike of the gong marked the first trading session of the year at the Vietnam Stock Exchange on Monday, setting an upbeat tone as regulators and investors looked ahead with renewed confidence.

Minister of Finance Nguyễn Văn Thắng highlighted the stability and resilience shown by the stock market throughout 2025, describing it as a year of notable growth and achievement.

The minister said the VN-Index reached new highs, rising nearly 38 per cent by early December compared with the end of the previous year. That performance was matched by a sharp increase in liquidity, with average trading value climbing to more than VNĐ29 trillion (US$1.1 billion) per session, up 40 per cent year on year.

Market capitalisation of listed shares also expanded by 35 per cent, while the number of investor accounts surpassed 11.6 million, exceeding targets set out in the market’s development strategy to 2030.

Key advances, including the rollout of the integrated KRX technology system and the official upgrade of Việt Nam’s market classification by FTSE Russell from frontier to secondary emerging market status, were cited as major drivers of the positive momentum.

However, Thắng cautioned that Việt Nam’s economy could still face risks in 2026 amid ongoing global uncertainty.

He urged the securities sector to continue innovating and adapting to meet those challenges.

Stressing the importance of a strong legal framework, he called for continued improvements to ensure a stable, safe and efficient market that can fully capitalise on the benefits of its upgraded status.

Minister of Finance Nguyễn Văn Thắng beats the gong at the ceremony on Monday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

To officially achieve a market upgrade in September, Thắng underscored the need to resolve outstanding regulatory challenges and complete the necessary procedures to meet international standards, which would improve accessibility for global brokerage firms and enhance Việt Nam's standing in international markets.

A central priority for the year ahead will be accelerating digital transformation across the stock market. Modernising trading and payment infrastructure and applying new technologies to market supervision are seen as critical to keeping pace with global trends.

Expanding the range of financial products, including bonds and green financial instruments, is also considered essential for robust market development.

The Government aims to diversify the domestic investor base while attracting foreign capital, particularly through the effective implementation of restructuring plans and the development of the investment fund sector.

Strengthening compliance and oversight will remain a top priority to prevent market manipulation and fraud, reinforcing the discipline needed for a stable trading environment.

30th anniversary

As the securities industry is going to mark its 30th anniversary in 2026, Vũ Thị Chân Phương, chairwoman of the State Securities Commission (SSC), reaffirmed the commitment to faithfully implementing the Ministry of Finance’s directives.

The regulator will continue to focus on improving market quality and expanding classifications, while modernising IT infrastructure through the KRX system, which is intended to drive comprehensive digital transformation in management and supervision.

Strategically, the SSC also plans to introduce new markets, including carbon trading and crypto-asset markets, while restructuring the listed company landscape to improve operational efficiency.

Greater international cooperation is expected to support the adoption of global best practices, strengthen corporate governance among listed firms and facilitate the issuance of public bonds for project financing based on public-private partnership (PPP) models.

The stock market opened its first trading session of the new year on a cautious note, with range-bound movements as many stocks hovered around their reference prices. By the end of the morning session, the VN-Index had risen by 3.12 points to 1,787.61.

Liquidity was moderate, with more than 309.4 million shares traded for a total value exceeding VNĐ9.8 trillion. 

Bizhub