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Growth momentum has seen a strong breakthrough in both state-owned commercial banks and private joint-stock banks.
Finish early
Recently, the Vietnam Investment and Development Bank ( BIDV ) announced pre-tax profits for the first 11 months of the year reached over VND 29,000 billion, equivalent to approximately 87% of the annual plan. Along with this, BIDV's total assets exceeded VND 3.2 million billion, an increase of about 16% compared to the beginning of the year; outstanding loans reached nearly VND 2.3 million billion, an increase of 14%, with a projected increase of 15-16% for the whole year. These results demonstrate BIDV's continued balance between expanding its scale and ensuring operational safety.
Among joint-stock commercial banks, many units have "reached their targets early," significantly exceeding their plans even before the closing of the fourth quarter. A prime example is An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ABBank), with pre-tax profit for the first 11 months reaching VND 3,400 billion, exceeding the full-year target of VND 1,800 billion by 88%. Customer deposits reached approximately VND 155,000 billion, achieving 135% of the plan; outstanding loans exceeded VND 127,000 billion, laying the foundation for ABBank to enter a new growth cycle from 2026.
Similarly, National Commercial Bank (NCB) exceeded its annual plan after only 9 months with after-tax profit of over 652 billion VND, a strong reversal compared to the loss in the same period of 2024. By the end of September 2025, NCB's total assets reached over 154,100 billion VND, a 30% increase compared to the end of the previous year; deposits and customer loans increased by 24% and 33% respectively, both exceeding the planned targets.
Kienlong Commercial Joint Stock Bank (KienlongBank) also recorded a pre-tax profit of VND 1,537 billion for the first nine months, equivalent to 112% of the annual plan and the highest level in its 30 years of operation. The bank's total assets reached nearly VND 97,716 billion; deposits reached VND 87,491 billion; and outstanding loans increased by nearly VND 10,000 billion compared to the beginning of the year, reflecting expansion in scale coupled with improved business efficiency.
Besides the group that has already met its targets, many other banks are also very close to reaching their goals. Saigon Commercial and Industrial Bank (Saigonbank) achieved over 258 billion VND in pre-tax profit after 9 months, completing over 86% of its plan. Viet A Commercial Bank (VietABank) achieved over 1,050 billion VND in pre-tax profit after 3 quarters, equivalent to nearly 80% of its target, while Ban Viet Commercial Bank (BVBank) achieved 437 billion VND, completing 79% of its plan and increasing by 140% compared to the same period last year.
Notably, the quality of growth in 2025 shows a significant improvement, not solely relying on credit. In the third quarter of 2025, VietABank recorded net interest income of nearly VND 639 billion, a 38% increase compared to the same period last year, while simultaneously reducing operating expenses by 20%. Despite a sharp increase in provision expenses due to loan expansion, pre-tax profit still increased by 46%, reflecting efficiency in cost management and income structure.
Overall, 2025 marks a positive differentiation. Banks with strong governance foundations, focused on cost control, selective credit expansion, and increased non-interest income are recording outstanding growth, even achieving their annual targets ahead of schedule.
* New growth expectations
According to analysts at SSI Securities Corporation, stable credit growth, recovering asset quality, more abundant real estate supply, and a rebound in non-interest income are key factors contributing to improved banking performance in 2025. SSI forecasts that pre-tax profits for the entire banking sector in 2025 could increase by more than 17% compared to 2024.
The results of the State Bank of Vietnam's survey on business trends among credit institutions also show positive expectations for the fourth quarter of 2025 and the whole year. Credit institutions believe that the demand for banking services will continue to improve; in particular, the demand for loans is expected to increase more strongly than the demand for deposits and payments. The overall business situation and pre-tax profits of the banking system are assessed to have improved in the third quarter, and this trend is expected to continue in the fourth quarter.
From a grouping perspective, Vietnam Foreign Trade Commercial Bank Securities Company Limited (VCBS) forecasts that state-owned banks could record profit growth of around 12% in 2025, while private banks are likely to achieve higher growth, up to 20%, thanks to room for credit expansion and more flexible profit margins.
Entering 2026, the outlook remains positive but with a more cautious perspective. Mirae Asset Securities Joint Stock Company (Vietnam) believes that banking sector profits in 2026 could increase by approximately 17.9%, supported by expected net interest income growth exceeding 19% and a return to stable net interest margins after a period of high funding costs in 2024-2025. However, risks remain, particularly from the real estate sector and the corporate bond market, as the capital burden tends to shift towards the banking system.
SSI also forecasts that pre-tax profits for the banking group within its research scope will increase by approximately 16% in 2026, thanks to a recovery in net interest margin (NIM), credit growth of around 17.6%, the ability to adjust lending interest rates according to customer segments, and improved asset quality as the real estate market stabilizes. The enactment of the amended Law on Credit Institutions is also expected to positively support the handling and recovery of non-performing loans.
As 2025 draws to a close, banking business results reflect the effectiveness of the State Bank of Vietnam's proactive and flexible monetary policy management in macroeconomic stability and credit orientation. Based on this foundation, the growth outlook for 2026 is strengthened, but ensuring system safety and risk control remains a central focus throughout.
Source: https://vtv.vn/loi-nhuan-ngan-hang-but-toc-100251231195054363.htm
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