WORDS ON THE STREET 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Investment / News
Lackluster interest in Military Bank shares offered by Vietcombank
Ngoc Thuy 08:47, 2018/10/10
At a starting price of VND19,641 (US$0.84) apiece, Vietcombank is expected to book proceeds of VND116.5 billion (US$5.01 million), much lower than the bank`s initial expectation of at least VND1.04 trillion (US$44.52 million), local media reported.
Investors have registered to purchase a meager of 5.93 million out of 53.4 million shares of the Military Bank (MB) offered by Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), according to the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX).
 
Illustrative photo.
Illustrative photo.
Overall, ten investors, including five individuals and five organizations, expressed interest in buying the said amount of shares. 

At a starting price of VND19,641 (US$0.84) apiece, Vietcombank is expected to book proceeds of VND116.5 billion (US$5.01 million), which is significantly lower than the bank's initial expectation of at least VND1.04 trillion (US$44.52 million).

The auction is scheduled to be held on October 15 at the HNX.

At the annual general meeting in 2018, Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Vietcombank's chairman, informed the bank's intention of divesting capital in other banks where Vietcombank holds more than a 5% stake, including MB and Vietnam Export Import Commercial Bank (Eximbank). 

The move is in line with the regulation on limiting cross holding. Under the regulation set by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), commercial banks are permitted to hold shares in a maximum of two other credit institutions, with the stake in each not exceeding 5%. The SBV requires banks to comply with its requirements before June 30 next year. 

Vietcombank currently holds a 6.97% stake or 150.6 million shares in MB, and an 8.24% stake or 101.2 million shares in Eximbank.

The sale of MB shares is supposed to help Vietcombank reduce its holding at the bank to 4.5%, which, however, proves quite challenging with the lack of interest from investors. 

At the close on October 9, MB's share value stood at VND23,050 (US$0.99) per share, down from the peak of VND36,800 (US$1.58) recorded on March 21. However, the current trading price is still higher than the Vietcombank's price on offer of VND19,641 (US$0.84) apiece. 

Vietcombank previously divested its shares in a number of credit institutions, including SaigonBank, Cement Finance Company (CFC) and entire shareholding in Orient Commercial Bank (OCB) on September 6. 

In the first six months of 2018, Vietcombank's pre-tax profit reached VND8 trillion (US$349.4 million), up 53% year-on-year, according to the lender's quarterly consolidated financial statement. 

As of June 30, Vietcombank's total assets were valued at VND977.6 trillion (US$42.7 billion), down 5.6% compared to the beginning of the year, mainly due to the bank's reduction in deposits at the SBV and other credit institutions. 
Other news
12:17, 2025/02/25
Vietnam eyes top 3 in investment environment in ASEAN next 2 years: Party Chief
A key objective is to trim off at least 30% of administrative procedures and cut both business costs and unofficial fees.
18:03, 2025/02/22
Vietnam attracts South Korean tech investment at SEMICON Korea 2025
The event provided a platform for Vietnam to showcase its semiconductor potential and reaffirm its commitment to developing high-tech industries and strengthening international cooperation.
16:46, 2025/02/20
Swedish group plans US$1 billion investment in Binh Dinh recycling plant
By creating a large number of jobs and promoting a green economy, the initiative is important in establishing Vietnam as a global hub for the circular textile sector.
10:52, 2025/02/13
Samsung plans to invest in AI, semiconductors in Vietnam
Vietnam will continue improving its investment environment and driving strategic breakthroughs in order to usher in a new era of economic development.
17:20, 2025/02/07
Vietnam's data center construction costs among the lowest in Asia Pacific
The country has a lot of potential to become one of the most important data markets in the region.
21:05, 2025/02/03
Bright prospects for FDI inflows into Vietnam in 2025
Market size, growth potential, low labor costs, and stable political and social conditions continue to be Vietnam’s selling points in attracting foreign investors.