{
  "id": 9708965,
  "title": "Japan's SMBC in talks to increase stake in Vietnam's VPBank, sources say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/japans-smbc-in-talks-to-increase-stake-in-vietnams-vpbank-sources-say",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-25T05:39:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/09/1540897/japans-smbc-talks-increase-stake-vietnams-vpbank-sources-say"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) is engaged in advanced negotiations to bolster its ownership stake in Vietnam's VPBank, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The Japanese lender, a division of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, is aiming to raise its holding from the current 15 per cent to around 20 per cent, sources said, without providing their names due to the sensitive nature of the information. SMBC's initial investment in VPBank was made in 2023, valued at $1.5 billion. Both parties intend to finalize the transaction this year, although they are at odds over the valuation, multiple sources stated. The expansion of SMBC's stake would deepen its exposure to Vietnam's rapidly growing banking sector, providing better access to Vietnamese consumers and businesses as the country strives for rapid economic growth, rising household wealth, and increased foreign investment. In April, VPBank hinted at exploring a private placement of shares with foreign investors. Following that, a Swiss advisory firm predicted that VPBank might raise between $700 million and $900 million from the sale of newly issued shares. At current market prices, a 5 per cent stake would be worth approximately $425 million. SMBC's involvement in Vietnam is driven by the country's status as a major hub for export-oriented manufacturing operations and its attractive prospects for infrastructure spending and rising consumption. While foreign ownership in Vietnamese banks is typically capped at 30 per cent, VPBank has been granted an exemption of up to 49 per cent after participating in the restructuring of a troubled lender. SMBC's interest in increasing its ownership aligns with its strategy to provide additional financial services to Japanese clients and multinational firms operating in Vietnam, as well as bolstering VPBank's retail banking business, including wealth management and credit cards.",
  "summary": "HANOI: Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) is in advanced talks to increase its stake in Vietnamese private lender VPBank, four people familiar with the negotiations said.",
  "key_points": [
    "SMBC aims to increase its stake in VPBank from 15% to around 20%.",
    "The Japanese lender seeks to finalize the transaction this year.",
    "SMBC's expansion would deepen its exposure to Vietnam's growing banking sector."
  ],
  "editors_take": "SMBC's potential increased stake in VPBank would deepen its exposure to Vietnam's growing banking sector, providing better access to local consumers and businesses, and aligning with its strategy to serve Japanese clients and multinationals.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}