Ho Chi Minh City sees surge in foreign investment via M&As

The municipal statistics authority reported that total registered foreign investment in the southern economic hub exceeded US$3.8 billion in the first five months of the year.

The figure included 783 newly licensed projects worth more than US$1.09 billion and 107 existing projects added with over US$430 million in capital.

Meanwhile, capital contributions, share purchases and equity acquisitions by foreign investors accounted for the largest share of inflows. During the January–May period, the city recorded 747 cases of foreign investors contributing capital and acquiring stakes in local enterprises, with a combined registered value of US$2.327 billion.

The trend suggests that international investors are increasingly choosing M&A transactions to expand their presence in Vietnam rather than investing in new projects.

Among the most notable deals was Indonesian investor Haryanto Sudarno Kusuma’s planned capital contribution of more than US$1.7 billion to the VLD Investment and Finance JSC, one of the largest transactions recorded in Ho Chi Minh City so far this year.

Several other significant deals were reported in the finance, technology and service sectors. Singapore-based Momogi Group invested more than US$64 million in Bibica Capital, while Kredivo Vietnam registered an investment of nearly US$34.4 million in the Timo Vietnam JSC. These transactions reflect growing foreign interest in high-growth industries closely linked to digital transformation.

Ho Chi Minh City has set a target of attracting around US$11 billion in domestic and foreign investment in 2026. To achieve this goal, authorities are focusing on improving the business environment while prioritising projects with high quality and added value.

Under its development strategy, the city will prioritise investors aligned with plans to develop the International Financial Centre and a free trade zone. Investment is being encouraged in artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, automation, semiconductor technology, digital transformation, green growth and projects meeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

The city is also piloting the transformation of five export processing and industrial zones into high-tech, eco-industrial and innovation-driven parks, namely Tan Thuan, Tan Binh, Cat Lai, Hiep Phuoc and Binh Chieu, a move expected to attract more high-quality foreign direct investment in the coming years.

FDI into HCM City jumps over 200% in first quarter

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ho Chi Minh City is estimated at nearly US$2.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a surge of more than 200% from a year earlier, underscoring resilient investor interest despite global uncertainty, city officials said.