Vietnam adds 1.2 million new stock accounts as market reaches historic peak

THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam’s stock market has witnessed a remarkable surge in new trading accounts, with nearly 1.2 million added in the first seven months of 2025, as the VN-Index soared to a record high.

According to Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD), July alone saw 226,341 new accounts opened, marking the highest monthly figure in 11 months since September 2024, bringing the total to 10.5 million, equivalent to over 10% of the population.

Individual domestic investors have been the primary drivers of this growth. In July, they opened 225,989 new accounts, accounting for 99.3% of the market, with a total of over 10.4 million accounts. Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors added 164 new accounts, bringing their total to 18,503.

Foreign investors also contributed, with 179 new individual accounts and 9 institutional accounts, pushing their total to 48,781. However, foreign accounts saw a slight decline of 188 units compared to the previous month.

The surge coincides with the VN-Index’s historic rally, which gained 126 points (9.16%) in July, closing at 1,502 points. The milestone was achieved on the 25th anniversary of the stock market’s establishment (July 28th, 2000–2025), with average daily trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) reaching VND33 trillion (US$1.3 billion).

Vietnam has already surpassed its 2025 goal of nine million accounts, set under the 2030 Market Development Strategy, two months early. With the current pace, the 2030 target of 11 million accounts could be achieved years ahead of schedule, barring major market corrections.

Analysts remain bullish, citing the VN-Index’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 13x, below its five-year average of 16x, as evidence of further growth potential. Mirae Asset Securities forecasts continued gains in August, bolstered by Vietnam’s bid for emerging market status by FTSE Russell.