Vietnam urged to ease ownership limits to attract foreign stock investment
Speakers at a Ho Chi Minh City capital forum called for a broader pool of listed companies and stronger corporate governance to support investment inflows.
Vietnam should lower barriers to foreign share ownership and broaden its stock market to retain international investment, FTSE Russell’s Wanming Du told the 2026 Vietnam Capital Market Forum in Ho Chi Minh City.
Du, director of index policy for Asia-Pacific, said ownership limits constrained overseas investors’ access and affected Vietnamese shares’ weighting in emerging-market portfolios. She said passive fund inflows would continue provided Vietnam maintained its index weighting and the number of companies represented.
To raise that weighting, Du called for more businesses to qualify for index inclusion through initial public offerings, alongside a wider range of sectors among listed shares. She also highlighted the need for better disclosure, stronger enforcement and more predictable policies. Pension funds, insurers and securities-linked savings mechanisms could supply stable capital over the longer term, she said.
Choi Sang Ah, financial consul at South Korea’s consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, said Vietnamese businesses should strengthen corporate governance to gain the confidence of overseas investors and institutional funds. She described South Korean reforms covering financial disclosure, dividend procedures and conflicts between controlling and minority shareholders.
Dragon Capital founder and chairman Dominic Scriven said Vietnam faced difficulties in attracting foreign investment as emerging markets competed more intensely for capital. However, he said its stock market had advanced further than some peers.
Tuoi Tre online newspaper organised the forum with the State Securities Commission of Vietnam.
