The Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) eyes VND308 billion (US$13.2 million) in pre-tax profit in 2019, up 0.3 per cent year on year, and VND594.3 billion in total revenue, up 5.66 per cent year on year.

The northern securities market regulator also plans to pay VND61.6 billion to the State budget, slightly lower than the figure of VND62.4 billion in 2018.

In addition, the bourse will increase its budget for research and development to VND76.2 billion in 2019, from 2018s figure of VND10.5 billion.

In the draft plan HNX submitted to the Ministry of Finance for approval, the northern bourse will enhance its supervision of information disclosure on companies that trade shares on the stock market.

The HNX will also revise and complete the framework on monitoring stocks, especially those that are traded on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM), and work with brokerage firms to implement the market-making mechanism for the stock market.

In addition, the northern bourse will propose the State Securities Commission (SSC) allow investors and securities firms to carry out margin lending for UPCoM-traded large-cap companies to increase trading liquidity and help the Government sell stakes in those firms easier.

In 2019, the HNX will develop a draft on establishing the bond futures contracts, create futures contracts underlying the VNX200-Index, and work on legal documents to allow trading of other derivatives products.

In 2018, the HNX earned VND562.5 billion in total revenue and VND307.4 billion in pre-tax profit.

HoSE to help foreign investors

In 2019, the southern Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) will work on a special mechanism that allows foreign investors to trade shares of companies that have run out of room for foreign ownership, especially investors from Thailand, Malaysia and Japan.

The southern bourse will work with the SSC to review and prepare for the launch of covered warrants, monitor the trading of the new products and improve trading conditions.

In addition, the HoSE will research and develop new indices that underlie other derivatives products, and improve the quality and transparency of corporate reports and information disclosure.

The HCM City market regulator will continue carrying out and completing the corporate sustainable development index, help listed firms apply international standards in corporate governance, and encourage companies to disclose their information in both Vietnamese and English.

In 2019, HoSE targets more than VND1 trillion in total revenue and VND650.3 billion in pre-tax profit, and pay VND476.3 billion to the State budget. — VNS