29 September 2020

Vietnam M&A market set for growth despite COVID-19

We spoke to Huong Trinh, Managing Director and Head of the BDA Partners Ho Chi Minh City office, about the latest exciting developments in M&A in Vietnam.  


You worked on the largest inbound private sector industrial transaction in Vietnam in the last three years, the sale of Thipha & Dovina to Stark Corporation, for US$240m. Why were Thipha & Dovina such an attractive investment opportunity for an international buyer?

Thipha & Dovina are a leading electric cable and non-ferrous metal group with a 30-year history. The companies grew revenues at an average 20% per annum for the period 2015-2019, and revenue exceeded US$500m.

This asset offers direct exposure to Vietnam’s economic growth. Vietnam has been emerging as a manufacturing hub in the region given its relatively low labor cost and strategic location. In 2019, Vietnam recorded GDP growth of ~7%, and is expected to remain a regional outperformer. Significant investment in infrastructure is underway. The government and business led spending will drive demand for cable and wiring for the foreseeable future.

Thai buyers are consistently interested in Vietnamese assets, and have made several significant investments in Vietnam over the last few years.[1]


Do you think there will continue to be inbound interest in Vietnamese companies from the rest of Asia and further afield in the future? If so, what are the key reasons?

Obviously yes, as we have received lots of indications of interest for high-quality industrial assets, as well as other sectors, from both global and regional buyers. We believe the strong inbound interest is mostly driven by the following factors:

  • Vietnam’s economy is driven by consumer spending, which accounts for close to 70% of its GDP. With the third largest population in ASEAN, and the expansion of upper and middle-income earners, the economy is expected to grow further. Despite the disruption from COVID-19, Vietnam is expected to still enjoy ~3% economic growth this year and is expected to bounce back to 6% growth in 2021[2]
  • Vietnam will benefit from recently signed Free Trade Agreements (CPTPP & EVFTA), which encourage more foreign direct investment into the country and put in place lower tariff structures. This is also an indicator of strong EU-Vietnam relations
  • Vietnam has been emerging as a manufacturing hub in the region given its relatively low labor cost, but with increasing quality and a strategic location with many seaports nationwide. Global companies started shifting operation to Vietnam in 2010, and this trend has been accelerated by the ongoing US-China trade tensions

Are there opportunities in Vietnam for BDA to sell founder owned businesses in the future?

We believe there are still many more opportunities in Vietnam to advise founders on the sale of their businesses in the short term. There are still a lot of sizable and high-quality assets in the market that have grown into market leaders over the course of several decades and which have undergone different phases of development. They may need a new “growth engine” or investment to remain competitive and in some cases the founders are simply looking to exit and step back from the company they founded.

In addition, improved legal framework and corporate governance are making it easier and more transparent for foreign investors, giving them greater confidence to acquire majority stakes.

We are currently mandated on a number of projects thanks to: (i) a combination of our strong relationship with both strategic and financial sponsor buyers because of our global network; (ii) a senior team on the ground in Vietnam (especially important during COVID-19); and (iii) excellent execution capabilities which are laser-focused on delivering the best outcome for our clients.


Which will be the most attractive sectors in Vietnam for M&A in the post COVID-19 environment and why?

Internet-related businesses have been growing rapidly during COVID-19. Online, or online-to-offline, products and services have seen significant growth. This is not just a short-term effect; consumer behaviour is changing, and this is a long-term sustainable shift in consumer dynamics. Average order value on e-commerce sites rose by over 35 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year.

People are still spending money on shopping, a good sign given the fears that demand would fall during the COVID-19. The best performer was the groceries and fresh food, following by household supplies, homecare and healthcare products. Shopping malls are now packed with people like COVID-19 was never here.

For the industrials sector, COVID-19 has been certainly a catalyst for business owners to consider a transaction. The underlying reason was the fundamental change in the economic outlook domestically and globally, which has urged a number of investors to look for a more stable and “safer” destination whilst business owners see the benefits of having a “big brother” who is financially strong together with them to grow the business, especially during the unstable periods.

Healthcare is another attractive sector for investors. Some of the healthcare sub-sectors are performing well during COVID-19, while some are not. The sector will likely see lower cash flow in 2020 compared to 2019. Hospitals face a huge negative impact on revenue as they have had to cancel many profitable surgeries and procedures, while spending more on staffing and getting extra protection equipment for work. In contrast, personal protective equipment companies are seeing significant revenue growth, and the pharmaceutical sector will continue to grow strongly post pandemic.

Industrial real estate and logistics will also grow, thanks to multinational companies shifting their manufacturing base from China, and the requirement for logistics and supply chains to keep up.

Sectors that have been temporarily hit by COVID-19, such as food & beverage, hospitality and discretionary retailing, present opportunities at attractive valuations for buyers who are confident of a strong bounce back after COVID-19.


Do you see any changes in perception towards M&A processes in Vietnam? Have handshake deals been completely replaced by more structured processes?

Compared to a decade ago, the perception towards M&A has been changed drastically among business owners, government agencies and investors/buyers in a positive way. As Vietnam’s economy has opened up, we have witnessed more and more large deals that have brought positive growth to the target companies and benefits to all stakeholders. As awareness of the positive benefits of M&A has grown, shareholders are now more open to adding M&A as a strategic option in their growth trajectory and strategy. Sellers are becoming more educated in terms of an M&A process and key concepts. I still remember 15 years ago, it took me a lot of time to explain to the business owners how investors would value a business, which was not only based on how many land use rights the company held or how famous their company was.

For small deals, or deals between two domestic parties, handshake deals are still common, with all the decisions being made quickly, top down. However, we see people are taking a much more structured approach for medium and large domestic deals or cross-border deals. These deals will involve a variety of advisors as shareholders see the benefits of having an official process and professional advice: (i) better positioning the company; (ii) consistent and organised approach; (iii) a more competitive process will result in better equity valuation and terms; and (iv) increase the certainty of the deal completing and reduce the associate deal risks. 

As BDA has a local team in Vietnam, we are happy to be trusted by local business owners to give them advice and help them to run a structured M&A process.


How do you see international investors completing transactions with Vietnam’s borders still shut?

BDA has signed and/or completed three transactions so far in 2020 without the buyers coming into Vietnam for the closing/signing.

This was a key concern when COVID-19 started, but as things have progressed, it is really a matter of how much both sides like the deal and how we, as the advisor, add value. We have been very creative with our sale processes. For example, helping the investor hire a local advisor to do the site visit/management meeting on the ground in Vietnam; arranging for the seller to take high-quality videos of the factories and assets, and so on. These creative approaches help to get deals done.


According to the AVCJ, 2019 was a record year for the number of PE / VC investments in Vietnam. Do you expect to see a rise in domestic and international private equity investment in Vietnam continuing in 2020 and 2021?

From a macro level value creation process perspective, Vietnam will continue to enjoy: (i) stable, unparalleled economic growth compared to other Southeast Asia countries, especially amid the COVID-19 situation; (ii) an influx of advantages from the recent free trade agreements; and (iii) strong government push to privatize state-owned enterprises. From a micro-level perspective, Vietnamese companies are getting more professional with stronger management teams and better corporate governance. They are more open to foreign investors as they see the different values that both strategic and financial investors can bring to the companies. 

There is increasing demand for growth capital in 2020-2021. The private sector in Vietnam, with its strong momentum, will need more capital to pursue transformational changes and achieve further growth. The start-up ecosystem is seeing robust expansion, with internet related companies as the most attractive sector.

We, at the BDA Partners Ho Chi Minh City office, are seeing strong demand for growth capital and exits from both founder-backed and private equity owned companies. This is visible from our numerous live deals and strong pipeline/opportunities for 2021.


Contact us for more details on the insights



[1] In 2014, Berli Jucker Pcl announced a US$879m transaction to acquire Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam. In 2015, Central Group through its subsidiaries, Power Buy, bought 49% stake in Nguyen Kim Trading Company. In 2016, Central Group acquired Big C Vietnam, a supermarket chain, with a transaction value of US$1.0bn. In 2017, ThaiBev Group, through its subsidiary Vietnam Beverage, has acquired majority stake in Sabeco, Vietnam’s largest brewery company, with a deal size of US$4.8bn. SCG, a Thailand conglomerate, has done a number of transactions in construction materials and packaging in Vietnam.

[2] HSBC research shows Vietnam enjoying very strong internal domestic demand even during COVID-19. Nielsen research indicated that Vietnamese consumers remain 2nd in ASEAN in terms of being positive.


About BDA Partners

BDA Partners is the global investment banking advisor for Asia. We are a premium provider of Asia-related advice to sophisticated clients globally, with over 24 years’ experience advising on cross-border M&A, capital raising, and financial restructuring. We provide global reach with our teams in New York and London, and true regional depth through our seven Asian offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. BDA has deep expertise in the Chemicals, Consumer & Retail, Health, Industrials, Services and Technology sectors. We work relentlessly to earn our clients’ trust by delivering insightful advice and outstanding outcomes.

BDA Partners has strategic partnerships with William Blair, a premier global investment banking business, and with DBJ (Development Bank of Japan), a Japanese government-owned bank with US$150bn of assets.

US securities transactions are performed by BDA Partners’ affiliate, BDA Advisors Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). BDA Advisors Inc. is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and SIPC. In the UK, BDA Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In Hong Kong, BDA Partners (HK) Ltd. is licensed and regulated by the Securities & Futures Commission (SFC) to conduct Type 1 and Type 4 regulated activities to professional investors. www.bdapartners.com

Latest insights