Mr. Quang Kim Thien – CEO of Maybank Securities
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International investors appreciate the commitment of business leaders to ESG
What is your assessment of the potential of the investment banking (IB) market in Vietnam?
– Mr. Quang Kim Thien: Despite global headwinds, Vietnam has maintained strong growth amid external instability. With the trend of supply chain relocation to Asia and the search for new emerging markets, Vietnam is one of the attractive investment destinations for foreign investors.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Vietnam’s economic growth is expected to reach 6% in 2024 and 6.2% in 2025, after achieving an impressive growth rate of 6.4% in the first half of 2024. This is the highest growth rate in Asia, second only to India.
Vietnam’s economic recovery continues to be driven by stable export demand, strong manufacturing growth, and robust foreign investment inflows (FDI disbursement in July increased by 9.5% year-on-year, FDI registered in the first 6 months reached US$15.2 billion, up 13% over the same period in 2023) and developing consumer market. To take advantage of this investment capital, enterprises need to prepare their management, financial, and legal systems to be transparent.
In this context, IB is more important than ever in supporting businesses of all sizes to access diverse sources of capital, especially green capital – the current global investment trend.
Investment banks will accompany enterprises in preparing and meeting international standards in finance, transparency, and ESG, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises in the global capital market.
How is the ESG trend affecting the IB market?
Has Maybank Investment Bank had any IB deals related to ESG?
– ESG has become a dominant trend in the global capital market, and although this concept is relatively new in Vietnam, businesses’ interest in ESG factors is increasing.
Currently, international investors are not only looking for businesses that have fulfilled ESG criteria but also highly appreciate strong commitments from business leaders and a clear roadmap to transition towards meeting international ESG standards.
As a consulting and accompanying partner, Maybank Investment Bank’s IB division has always been a pioneer in updating ESG trends and supporting businesses in accessing capital and appropriate financial solutions.
This not only helps businesses comply and expand their revenue channels but also opens up opportunities to attract foreign investment funds, which increasingly demand ESG compliance. Maybank Investment Bank plays an important role in connecting Vietnamese businesses with international capital, enhancing their competitiveness and corporate image in the global capital market.
A typical example is a deal that Maybank Investment Bank has just executed, in which we acted as the sole financial advisor to Phuc Sinh Joint Stock Company in raising long-term capital with sustainable linkage from the &Green fund of the Netherlands. This deal not only affirms Phuc Sinh’s ESG capabilities but also promotes the sustainable development of the Vietnamese coffee industry, with transparent and forest-friendly supply chains.
What is Maybank Investment Bank’s upcoming strategy for the IB segment, sir?
– Maybank Group pays great attention and focuses on the potential of the ASEAN market, in which the Vietnamese market is a bright spot that we will devote more resources and investment in the coming time.
In the long-term strategy, we leverage the Group’s regional network to promote consulting and investment banking, including equity and debt capital raising advisory, syndicated lending, listing advisory, and other types of financial investments. We are committed to becoming a bridge between Vietnamese enterprises and international capital, contributing to the development of the Vietnamese market.
With the synergy of Maybank Group, we are always ready to support Vietnamese enterprises in accessing strategic partners in the region and globally. We especially focus on providing innovative green and ESG financial solutions to meet funding needs and attract the attention of institutional investors. Our IB team provides comprehensive advisory solutions, including financing for energy, public investment, infrastructure, and ESG projects, to support businesses in their sustainable transition efforts.
What are the strengths of Maybank Investment Bank in the IB segment, sir?
– Maybank Investment Bank’s IB division always supports and accompanies businesses of all sizes with a diverse range of financial advisory products in the private capital market (private equity, private credit) and the public capital market. We provide M&A consulting, financial restructuring, equity fundraising, syndicated loans, and bond issuance advisory services.
We always focus on accompanying businesses, proactively providing the most efficient and suitable financial solutions according to the needs and development of the enterprise.
Enterprises must disclose potential risks transparently
How does the IR activity of enterprises contribute to the results obtained from IPO, listing, and share offering deals…
– IR (Investor Relations) activity plays a core role in shaping the image and value of the enterprise before investors. A strong IR strategy not only helps maintain transparency and build trust with existing shareholders but also expands the potential to attract prospective investors.
Especially in IPO, listing, or share offering deals, good preparation and execution of IR activities can significantly impact share pricing, attract the attention of strategic investors, and ensure the success of the offering.
Does Maybank Securities provide IR consulting for enterprises in IB deals?
– During the consulting process, we always emphasize accompanying and supporting enterprises in improving their business growth potential, financial management capabilities, corporate governance quality, system transparency, and compliance with environmental, social, and governance standards, in line with the goal of accessing capital and financial solutions.
From the perspective of enterprises, transparent and equitable information disclosure (for example, disclosing information in English fully and promptly to foreign investors, similar to disclosing information to domestic investors) is a basic requirement. Investing in the development of the IR department is essential. In the long run, of course, enterprises will have to continue to improve their corporate governance to attract foreign investment capital.
In addition, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards and sustainable development are gradually becoming the decisive criteria for foreign capital investment, especially international investment funds.
Accordingly, listed companies that want to optimize profits and attract foreign capital need to meet ESG standards and improve ESG information disclosure to help international investors access information and make investment decisions more easily.
What criteria do buy-side parties set for information transparency when researching enterprises to decide whether to invest or not?
– For the buy-side, information transparency is one of the decisive factors in the investment decision-making process. Transparency is not only related to providing accurate and comprehensive financial information but also includes the disclosure of governance activities, development strategies, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors of the enterprise.
Today’s investors demand a higher level of transparency than ever before, especially in the context of an increasingly complex and sensitive global financial market. They require enterprises to disclose potential risks, risk management strategies, and factors that may affect long-term financial performance clearly. Lack of transparency or inadequate disclosure of information can lead to a loss of trust and reduced opportunities to raise capital from long-term visionary investors.
Thank you, sir.
What’s in it for Vietnamese Banks to Embrace Green Banking?
The global banking industry is embracing Green Banking with a myriad of initiatives, including pledges to reduce carbon emissions and support eco-friendly projects. In Vietnam, despite its recent introduction, Green Banking has made significant strides and continues to gain momentum.
