Vietnam M&A Forum 2024 reveals new opportunities

Photo: Le Toan

Vietnam M&A Forum 2024 is being held by VIR under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The forum is in its 16^th edition, reinforcing its status as a premier annual event on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and investment opportunities in Vietnam. The event saw the participation of 400 guests, including local and foreign investors.

Addressing the forum, Le Trong Minh, VIR’s editor-in-chief and head of the Organising Board of the forum, said, "According to international research and consulting organisations, the global M&A market last year was one of the worst bear markets in a decade due to the uncertain geopolitical climate and global economic downturn, which resulted in a slump in both deal value and deal count."

Despite some signs of improvement, global M&A activities remain bleak in 2024. In the first half of 2024, while the value of deals rose slightly, overall transaction volume fell compared to the first half of 2023. Recently, there has been some positive news, but it doesn’t indicate a breakthrough in the near future.

"In Vietnam, many deals have been announced since the beginning of the year, which has brought excitement about a bustling market again after a rather gloomy year," Minh said. "Still, there are many deals that have yet to be concluded, and many negotiations and discussions are happening. The market is anticipated to see a recovery in light of strong demand from both buyers and sellers in the global market."

Photo: Viet Dung

"There are still many variables from the global geopolitical context. However, if there is one thing in all this uncertainty, it is that activity will bounce back–although likely faster in some sectors than others," said Minh.

According to KPMG, Vietnam’s M&A transaction value reached $3.2 billion in the first 9 months of 2024 with 220 deals, which grew almost 46 per cent on-year (compared with an 11.3 per cent on-year decline in combined deal value of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines). Among them, the average deal value on disclosed transactions was 56.3 million in the first 9 months of 2024. The largest deal value disclosed is $982 million.

Transactions are driven by investors’ confidence in Vietnam's stable economic prospects as well as government initiatives and proactive reforms, including tax incentives, regulatory reforms, and strategic support for high-growth sectors, positioning Vietnam as an increasingly attractive destination for cross-border capital.

Combined with a strong focus on infrastructure development and digital modernisation, these initiatives are setting Vietnam on course to become a focal point for M&A activity in Southeast Asia.

Thanks to these factors, the 16^th Vietnam M&A Forum received a lot of attention from local and foreign investors and businesses. The event featured in-depth discussions on emerging opportunities and key trends due to the rise of international capital, underpinned by government incentive policies and attractive business valuations. The forum also explored potential targets in the high-growth sectors such as real estate, retail, technology, renewable energy, financial services, and logistics.

The 16th Vietnam M&A Forum: A Blossoming Market After a period of stagnation, Vietnam’s M&A market is now on a strong recovery trajectory, with major deals starting to re-emerge.

M&A prospects bright in many sectors Dealmaking activities are arising in emerging fields ranging from semiconductors and data centres to liquefied natural gas, indicating ample room for buyers.

Dynamic M&A landscape felt in food and beverages Vietnam’s food and beverage market remains a fertile land for investors to step up merger and acquisition activities, with a focus on expanding product portfolios and developing markets.