Lê Hải Trà, CEO of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, and Eric Levinson, deputy managing director, head of business development at VinaCapital, in the second session of VinaCapital’s 2021 Investor Conference held online recently. — Photo courtesy of VinaCapital

HCM CITY — Foreign investors are eager to get back to Việt Nam, which they still consider one of the most “exciting” markets in the world, Don Lam, co-founder and CEO of VinaCapital, has said.

Speaking at his company’s 2021 Investor Conference held online recently, he said: “Here in Việt Nam, we are emerging from a long battle against an outbreak in HCM City and the surrounding region.

“In just a few months the country has quickly ramped up vaccinations in HCM City and Hà Nội, as well as in key manufacturing regions, and the pace of vaccination will continue to be high in other cities and towns for the remainder of the year.

“We all know vaccines are key to fully reopening the economy and we are firmly on that path forward. One thing is crystal clear: foreign investors are eager to get back to Việt Nam and continue investing in what they still consider to be one of the most exciting markets in the world.”

Lê Hải Trà, CEO of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, provided an update on the stock market’s enormous growth in the past 18 months as well as a preview of some developments in the pipeline.

“When we talk to companies and investors and look at the reaction of the market, it is clear that the confidence is there for a quick turnaround of the economy.

“The regulators are also considering a pipeline of new products that will be available once the new technology platform is in place.”

Andy Ho, chief investment officer of VinaCapital, said: “Việt Nam’s economy and its businesses have grown dramatically over the past 15 years. The size of the opportunities for us to invest in, as a result, has increased significantly too.

“The maturity of Vietnamese companies’ management teams has also been improving, with many managers increasingly aware of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) values. Technology adoption has also made a big impact on businesses and how they have developed over the years.”

Lam said: “The pandemic and extended restrictions have presented enormous challenges for many companies in Việt Nam and around the world.”

The conference featured four 60-minute sessions over a two-week period on topics including Việt Nam economic update and review and the performances of VinaCapital’s closed and open-ended funds and other investment platforms.

Nearly 200 people from around the world took part. — VNS