VCSC wins prestigious banking award

Viet Capital Securities Company has become Vietnam’s only domestic securities firm to win the Best Investment Bank award from FinanceAsia, Asia’s leading financial and banking publishing group.

This is one of FinanceAsia’s most prestige and honourable awards and its selection criteria is based on investment banking services like mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial consulting, share and bond issuance consulting.
VCSC deputy general director Huynh Richard Le Minh said this award was an encouragement and reward to all VCSC staff.

“The objective acknowledgements [by FinanceAsia] proves that VCSC, as a leader, is growing up very fast, affirming its prestige by being in the leading position in all the four industries in the domestic stock market,” said Minh.

Minh said VCSC, established in 2007, had aimed at sustainable development with its core business being consultancy services. After five years, VCSC is among the few securities firms in Vietnam to  impressive M&A advising deals on its CV.

In 2008, VCSC was the first securities firm to successfully fulfill an M&A deal when advising Holcim to acquire Cotec Cement. In the same year, VCSC advised PV Invest and PV Drilling to merge, the first merger between unlisted firm and listed firm.    
 
In 2009, VCSC also completed a deal to merger two listed firms between Ha Tien Cement No 2 and Ha Tien Cement No 1 and another deal two Korean-invested cotton companies. In 2011, VCSC was also known for successfully advising Masan Consumers to buy 50.11 per cent stake of Vinacafe Bien Hoa via public offering which valued at over $50 million.

Minh said VCSC was also a leading domestic market advisor. VCSC’s other successful deals include a deal to restructure FPT, one of leading information technology firms in Vietnam, advising to float shares of PV Gas, which market valuation is currently at $3 billion, advising Masan Group to buy Nui Phao project from Dragon Capital, which was selected by International Finance Law Review magazine for the nomination of “Restructuring Deal of the Year” award in Asia thanks to the creative non-cash transaction deal.  

Currently, VCSC is advising PV Gas to float shares on Singaporean Stock Exchange, Masan group to issue global depositary receipts (GDR).

For advisory activities, according to Minh, the most important factor is human. Therefore, VCSC staff is regularly trained as well as grown up from the actual jobs. Currently, when VCSC can take advisory deals outside Vietnam, the company’s advisory staff is added with foreign experts with over 20 years of experiences from well-known international financial institutions like Deutsche Bank.

In related development, at a recent M&A 2012 forum organized by VIR in June, 2012, VCSC also won “Top M&A Advisory house in Vietnam” award after considering the number and value of done M& deals in Vietnam during 2011-2012.

Not only being a leader in the investment banking services, VCSC brokerage services are also widely recognized. In 2011, VCSC ranked fourth among top 10 largest brokerage market shares winners on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.