VIF 2014 arouses great interest

Marc Djandji Partner of ASEAN Strategy Group

Vietnam is at a turning point after an extended recession, this event shows that foreign investors’ confidence is returning. This is a great line-up of speakers. They’re all big believers in the Vietnam story. And I think they will be able to provide great insight into Vietnam’s investment opportunities.

Furthermore, it is the first time the very prominent Marc Faber will be speaking in Vietnam. He has been involved with Vietnam for years and understands the country very well. I think that anyone interested in investing in this country needs to understand Vietnam in the context of its regional peers. At the event, you’ll be able to get, first hand, his view on Vietnam and other emerging and frontier markets. You’ll also have Don Lam, a veteran investor in this country and Thomas Hugger, who has recently launched a new fund focusing on Vietnam.

Attendees will be able to learn from these institutional investors. Learn about their sectors of interest and their investment strategies. They’ll also get an opportunity to meet other local and foreign investors who will attend.

Nguyen Hieu General director of Vietnam Dragon Securities Co. (VDSC)

VIF 2014 speakers have extensive experience and knowledge in Vietnam. Especial with Dr. Marc Faber to be the keynote speaker, the event is expected to be a huge attraction for investors.

Positive development of Vietnam’s economy in the past five months and business results of listed companies in the first quarter were a fundamental for better performance of the stock market in the past 5 months. In this context, the attractiveness of the Vietnamese market to foreign investors is understandable.

Factors from East Sea tensions have been reflected by market. Actually, the interest of foreign investment in Vietnam remains bullish. It was the strong net buys buy foreign investors in May that has spoke volumes. Their confidence in the recovery and growth of Vietnam's economy seems not affected. We think East Sea tensions will become a hot topic at VIF 2014.

As a sponsor for VIF 2014, VDSC want to cooperate with the organisers to share information and opportunities for other investors, thereby making the Vietnamese stock market better known by international investors.

Don Lam CEO of VinaCapital

VIF 2014 is taking place in a very sensitive condition given the East Sea tensions that started in early May, Vietnam’s more visible economic recovery and desire to further reforms, and the shift in global investment flows from developed markets to emerging ones over the past years. We believe VIF 2014 will be a place where international investors looking to invest in Vietnam will look for.

Furthermore, VIF 2014 with the present of Marc Faber – a top investment advisor known well for his accurate predictions especially on global credit and asset bubbles and bursts and the rise of new dynamic markets – will definitely attract the attendance of those companies wanting to extend their operations globally as well as top economic experts and investors having exposures in Vietnam.

VIF 2014 will certainly be an interesting and useful forum as Marc Faber and other speakers will deliver remarks on the global economic recovery after being hard hit by the 2008-2012 financial crisis, on Vietnam’s economic position in the shift of global capital flows as well as approaches the country should take to improve the position on the regional emerging markets and attract foreign funds.

VIF 2014 will be also a very good opportunity for businesses and investors to connect, share knowledge and seek new opportunities for cooperation. We will also take this rare opportunity to discuss with Marc Faber about investment opportunities in Vietnam and ASEAN countries, especially the prospect of Vietnam’s stock market.

Jean Eric Jacquemin CEO of Jade River Management, managing Red River Holding

VIF Forum is an opportunity for Vietnamese companies and government agencies to directly communicate with foreign investors who are already active in Vietnam or have started to look at Vietnam. 

While the Vietnamese government is making efforts to reform the economy (such as proceeding with the equitisation of state-owned enterprises, restructuring the banking system and developing the stock market), we believe that all of these efforts must be reinforced to improve the attractiveness of the market and put Vietnam back into the radar of financial investors.

Like other emerging economies, we believe that Vietnam still has some issues that need to be solved in order to increase its attractiveness to investors.  Although government agencies have made significant efforts to improve transparency, enhance corporate governance and ensure equal treatment among shareholders, recourse or protection for minority shareholders are still fairly limited in case of difficulties or when conflicts arise.

There are also barriers for exiting investments.  Low liquidity, greater number of listed companies with small market capitalization and lack of domestic institutional investors with long-term view are factors that currently affect exits through the stock market.  Furthermore, existing regulations limiting the transfer of control through M&A activities make trade sales to strategic industrial investors cumbersome.  This may impact Vietnamese entrepreneurs who are willing to sell their company as part of their succession plan as many of them will reach retirement in coming years.

Through the VIF forum, we hope Vietnamese companies and government agencies will listen to the concerns and worries of investors and will apply necessary changes and reforms to further improve the attractiveness of the market.