By the end of the second quarter of 2026, the combined charter capital of 30 Vietnamese commercial banks surpassed VND1 quadrillion for the first time, reaching about $38.2 billion, up roughly $675 million, or 1.8%, from the beginning of the year.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly widespread, a bank’s competitive edge is no longer determined by technology alone, but also by the quality of its data.

The banking sector will implement a plan to develop applications of population data, electronic identification and authentication to support national digital transformation for the 2026-30 period.

Credit is flowing increasingly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as policymakers seek to support production, trade and economic growth.

Outstanding loans for real estate business activities rose to more than 2.5 quadrillion VND (nearly 95 billion USD) as of June 30.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has called for faster implementation of plans to deal with collateral assets linked to Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), as part of broader efforts to address weak banks and strengthen the safety of Vietnam’s financial system.

Customer deposits at 30 Vietnamese banks reached VND16.02 quadrillion ($608.7 billion) by end-June, while outstanding loans climbed to VND17.04 quadrillion ($647.5 billion), leaving a gap of more than $38 billion.

Vietnam wants lower lending rates while preparing to mobilize nearly $1.5 trillion in investment over five years, putting the structure of its financial system under growing pressure.

Vietnam’s SIMO banking alert system has warned customers 4.9 million times, prompting 1.6 million suspected scam transactions to be halted by the end of July 2026.

Vietnamese banks are cutting borrowing costs and expanding preferential lending for SMEs and priority sectors as the Government seeks to channel more affordable credit into production and support faster economic growth.

Separate second-quarter 2026 financial statements from Vietnamese commercial banks reveal a notable shift in demand deposits, or current account savings account (CASA), across the banking sector.

Vietnamese banks are increasing their exposure to real estate, with 12 lenders reporting a combined $42.9 billion in outstanding property loans.

Customer deposits at 28 Vietnamese banks rose during the first half of 2026, with the Big Four state-owned lenders maintaining a commanding market share.

Vietnam's banking sector is paying employees more than ever, with MB emerging as the country's highest-paying lender and several long-time leaders slipping down the rankings.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has proposed allowing commercial banks to close customers' payment accounts that have remained inactive for three years or longer, according to a draft decree released for public consultation.

The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) has become the first Vietnamese bank to join the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF).

Sacombank expects its pre-tax profit for the second quarter of 2026 to reach only VND1,900 billion to VND2,000 billion, a drop of nearly 50 percent compared to the same period last year.

Vietnam’s central bank is steadily expanding monetary policy flexibility to support credit growth. But as investment demand surges, one question looms: how long can banks remain the economy’s primary source of long-term capital?

Sacombank expects its second-quarter 2026 pre-tax profit to fall by nearly 50% as legacy bad debts, higher funding costs and fierce competition for deposits continue to weigh on earnings.