Foreign investors net sell over 600 billion VND; VIC, VHM, ACB lead sell-off

Overview

Foreign investors net sold over 600 billion VND on the first trading day of the week, with VIC, VHM, and ACB seeing the largest outflows. TCB was the top buy at ~60 billion VND, followed by VNM and HDB. The net selling pressure on HoSE was 602 billion VND, reflecting cautious foreign sentiment amid a flat VN-Index.

Key Facts

• Foreign investors net sold 587 billion VND across the entire market on the trading day.
• On HoSE, net selling reached 602 billion VND.
• VIC saw the largest net sell of approximately 237 billion VND.
• VHM followed with a net sell of 106 billion VND.
• ACB was third with a net sell of 96 billion VND.
• TCB was the top net buy on HoSE with about 60 billion VND.
• VNM and HDB were also net bought, with 46 billion VND and 29 billion VND respectively.
• On HNX, foreign investors net sold a slight 1 billion VND, with CEO leading the sell-off at nearly 4 billion VND.
• On UPCoM, foreign investors net bought over 16 billion VND, with MSR leading at about 15 billion VND.

What Happened

The Vietnamese stock market had a subdued first trading session of the week, with the VN-Index slipping 2 points to 1,727. Foreign investors were net sellers across the board, offloading 587 billion VND in total. On HoSE, the net sell was 602 billion VND, while HNX saw a marginal net sell of 1 billion VND, and UPCoM recorded a net buy of over 16 billion VND.

In the buying column, TCB led with approximately 60 billion VND in net purchases, followed by VNM (46 billion VND), HDB (29 billion VND), NVL (20 billion VND), and KDH (17 billion VND). On the selling side, VIC faced the largest net sell of about 237 billion VND, followed by VHM (106 billion VND), ACB (96 billion VND), SSI (54 billion VND), and GMD (47 billion VND). The data comes from the stock exchange’s proprietary trading statistics for the session.

Market Context

Techcombank (TCB), listed on HOSE, closed at 31,800 VND on August 17, 2026. The stock was the top foreign buy, with net purchases of about 60 billion VND, signaling continued foreign interest despite the overall market outflow. The VN-Index’s slight decline to 1,727 points reflects a lack of fresh capital inflows, with foreign investors reducing exposure to large-cap names like VIC and VHM. The net selling pressure on HoSE was concentrated in real estate and banking stocks, while consumer staples and select banks like TCB and HDB attracted foreign buying.

Strategic Significance

The foreign net selling trend, particularly in VIC and VHM, suggests a cautious stance toward Vietnam’s real estate sector, possibly due to concerns about liquidity or valuation. However, the continued buying in TCB, VNM, and HDB indicates that foreign investors are selectively rotating into sectors with stronger fundamentals, such as banking and consumer staples. For TCB, the consistent foreign buying reinforces its position as a preferred banking stock among international investors, supported by its strong earnings and digital banking strategy. This divergence in foreign flows could signal a shift in sector preferences, with implications for portfolio positioning in the Vietnamese market.

What to Watch

• Follow-up foreign flow data for the next few sessions to see if the selling pressure persists or reverses.
• VN-Index movement around the 1,727 level, as a break below could trigger further foreign outflows.
• Any corporate announcements from VIC or VHM regarding project updates or capital raising that might affect foreign sentiment.
• TCB’s upcoming quarterly earnings report to confirm whether the foreign buying is supported by fundamental performance.
• Regulatory changes or policy signals from the State Bank of Vietnam that could impact banking sector attractiveness.