Vietnam Capital Market Forum 2026: Finding solutions to attract new capital flows

These are the key issues to be addressed at the Vietnam Capital Market Forum 2026, with a focus on ‘New Capital Flows, New Positioning,’ jointly organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper and the State Securities Commission of Vietnam on Friday.

From its first trading session in July 2000, when just two stocks were listed, Vietnam’s stock market has grown significantly in market size, the number of investors, and the number of participating businesses.

In particular, 2026 marks another milestone as Vietnam was upgraded by FTSE Russell to secondary emerging market status, opening up broader access to international investment flows.

Alongside these achievements in market size, the questions remain: what further changes does the stock market need to attract large capital flows, and what factors will shape its next stage of development?

Stock market needs further impetus to attract long-term capital

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Tran Hoang Son, director of market strategy at VPBank Securities (VPBankS), said there is still considerable room for the stock market to become a genuine channel for mobilizing medium- and long-term capital for the economy.

As of mid-October, Vietnam’s stock market capitalization had reached around VND10.7 quadrillion ($414 billion), equivalent to 82-83 percent of GDP.

This was higher than that of some regional markets, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, but it remained below Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Son said expanding the supply of quality-listed assets is essential to attracting long-term capital, particularly from international financial institutions.

Large funds typically look for companies of an appropriate size, with sound financial foundations, clear growth prospects, and good corporate governance.

Stocks must also have sufficient liquidity to allow them to deploy capital and rebalance their portfolios conveniently.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duy Linh, general director of Saigon-Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS), said the market upgrade was a milestone to be proud of, but the more important question is how the market would develop after the upgrade.

According to Linh, the ability to retain long-term capital flows depends on corporate quality, transparency, market stability, and investor confidence.

He stressed that a developed capital market should not be measured solely by its size or liquidity, but also by its ability to allocate capital efficiently, protect investors, and make a substantive contribution to economic growth.

These assessments show that the challenge facing Vietnam’s stock market is not simply to achieve a new position in international market classifications, but also to maintain investor confidence, improve trading infrastructure, and turn the upgrade opportunity into a genuine capacity to raise capital for businesses.

Vietnam Capital Market Forum 2026: Seeking solutions for new capital flows, new market position

Issues concerning capital mobilization, corporate quality, the development of long-term investors, and the attraction of international capital flows will be discussed at the Vietnam Capital Market Forum 2026, themed ‘New Capital Flows – A New Position for Vietnam’s Stock Market,’ jointly organized by Tuoi Tre and the State Securities Commission.

The forum is expected to bring together representatives of regulatory agencies, financial institutions, investment funds, securities companies, experts, and domestic and international business communities.

The first discussion session, titled ‘The Stock Market and Vietnamese Businesses in a New Capital Cycle,’ will focus on the stock market’s role in raising medium- and long-term capital, the barriers preventing businesses from making effective use of this funding channel, and solutions to improve corporate governance, information transparency, and the development of a long-term investor base.

The second discussion session, ‘Vietnam Welcomes Global Capital Flows,’ will examine opportunities following the market upgrade, the reforms needed to improve international investors’ access to the market, and solutions to attract large capital flows with appropriate maturities and costs.

As Vietnam promotes the development of an International Financial Center, the forum will also raise questions about connecting the domestic capital market with global financial institutions, expanding capital-raising instruments, and generating additional resources for long-term development projects.

Through dialogue among domestic and international regulators, businesses, and financial institutions, the forum aims to help identify bottlenecks and propose specific solutions to enhance the economy’s capacity to mobilize, absorb, and use capital.

After 30 years of formation and development, Vietnam’s stock market faces a new requirement: not merely expanding market capitalization or improving its standing in international classifications, but, more importantly, generating capital flows that genuinely serve production, business activities, and long-term growth.

This is because the stock market’s new position will be defined not only by the amount of capital it can attract, but also by the value that capital creates for the economy.