Vietnam

The 28th annual Asiamoney Brokers Poll invited chief investment officers, fund managers and investment analysts to take part. Nearly 6,700 valid responses were received from voters representing fund management houses, insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds and wealth managers from around the world.

Vietnam

While foreign investment banks await Vietnam’s promotion to full MSCI emerging-market status, local investment bank Viet Capital Securities is wasting no time, setting records in its home market with some of the biggest share sales in years.

Growth is strong, the banks have shed the worst of their bad loans and even the IPO market is enjoying a gala year. Are the good times here to stay or could Vietnam be brought down to earth again soon?

Saigon Securities

Vietnam is no ordinary digital banking market. The country’s overwhelmingly young population is increasingly found online. Look at the figures: internet penetration of 53%, smartphone penetration of 77%, 4G networks available in every big city. Not bad for a frontier market.

ACB is the standout lender in this category. From its inception in 1993, it has made itself an invaluable force for social change, while never losing sight of the need to dish up quality banking services and generate handsome returns for shareholders.

VPBank, formerly Vietnam Prosperity Bank, is the clear and deserved winner of this award. It has been a leader in providing valued services to the country’s growing army of small and medium-sized enterprises since 2013, when a standalone SME division was established with eight dedicated business centres. That division is led by Fung Kai Jin. These days it has 63 such centres, manned by 600 SME-focused staff, helping VPBank to snag 12% of the lending market in 2016.