Vietnam stocks see biggest foreign inflows in nearly six years

[HANOI] Vietnamese shares saw the biggest daily foreign inflows in nearly six years, in a sign of renewed global investor interest in the South-east Asian market as the Middle East tensions eased.

Foreign investors bought a net US$160.4 million worth of Vietnamese stocks on Monday (Jun 15), the largest of its kind since Sep 10, 2020, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Global investors’ purchases in Vietnam were part of their broader buying spree in several Asian emerging markets, such as Malaysia and the Philippines, after the US and Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

It offered some relief to a market that is otherwise on course for a fourth consecutive year of foreign outflows due to concerns about concentration risks and oil-induced inflationary pressures.

“De-escalation in the Middle East and Vietnam’s own underperformance have created a textbook re-entry set up for foreign capital,” said Quynh Cao, head of institutional business at VNDirect Securities. “Positioning was already tight and it does not take much to flip that.”

Despite the latest inflow, foreign investors have sold a net US$2.6 billion worth of Vietnamese equities so far this year, adding to the record US$4.8 billion they withdrew in 2025 amid heightened geopolitical tensions and a rotation towards faster-growing markets.

SEE ALSO

Vietnam’s stock market liquidity dries up after VN-Index’s record run in May

Vietnam’s growth push squeezed as inflation hits six-year high, trade gap at 30-year peak

External shocks cloud Vietnam’s market rerating path despite FTSE upgrade catalyst

Who would buy Vietnam’s state-owned stakes – when Hanoi is ready to sell?

Vietnam’s FTSE upgrade locked in for September after market reforms

More

Asean Intelligence

Get insights into businesses across South-east Asia

Get the free report

The Iran war and elevated energy prices have also overshadowed FTSE Russell’s decision to upgrade Vietnam to the emerging-market status from the frontier-market category.

While the latest inflow rekindled hope of more sustained buying, a lot hinges on the actual implementation of a peace deal on Iran and the outlook of oil prices.

“The caveat is durability, a fragile deal that keeps oil prices elevated reintroduces exactly the inflation and FX pressure that drove foreigners out in the first place,” Quynh said. BLOOMBERG