Implement flexible and agile business strategies
Previously, the term Big 4 banking industry was used to refer to the 4 largest banks in Vietnam: Agribank (Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), Vietcombank (Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade), BIDV (Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development) and VietinBank (Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade).
However, the term Big 5 is gradually being mentioned by financial experts when the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank officially rose to the top 5 leading commercial banks in the banking system. The common point easily seen in the Big 5 group is the presence of state capital. At MB, the State owns capital through the Ministry of National Defense and the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) with a ratio of approximately 50%. This gives the Bank a significant autonomy in decision-making, helping MB to implement its business strategy flexibly, quickly and closely to the market.
|
Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) provides a variety of financial and banking services suitable for all customer groups. Photo: PHUONG ANH |
In the first 6 months of 2025, the world economic situation was unpredictable, political conflicts between countries, tariff barriers, and policy instability pushed inflation higher in some countries. This had a significant impact on the domestic economy as well as the operations of banks and businesses. However, in that context, MB still completed the planned targets, maintaining the top growth rate in the banking industry.
Specifically, as of June 30, 2025, MB's total consolidated assets reached nearly VND 1.3 million billion, an increase of 14.2% compared to the end of 2024. Of which, the total consolidated credit balance reached nearly VND 913,000 billion, an increase of 12.5% (higher than the industry's credit growth rate of 9.9%). MB continued to expand sustainable credit, asset quality was effectively controlled with a bad debt ratio of 1.6% and a bad debt coverage ratio (the bank's ability to defend against risks related to bad debt) of 88.9%, a significant increase compared to the end of the first quarter of 2025; affirming its capacity to make adequate and sustainable provisions. Customer deposits also recorded a growth rate of 10%, reaching more than VND 783,000 billion. In particular, demand deposits (CASA) continued to be a bright spot, reaching nearly VND297,000 billion, accounting for 37.9% of total customer deposits. This is one of the highest CASA ratios in the market, demonstrating the effectiveness of the digital banking platform.
|
|
|
Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) provides a variety of financial and banking services suitable for all customer groups. Photo: PHUONG ANH |
Outstanding banking performance in the first 6 months of the year, MB recorded consolidated pre-tax profit of nearly VND 15,900 billion, up 18.3% over the same period in 2024. Total operating income reached VND 32,600 billion, up sharply by 24.6%. In particular, service income increased by 37%, showing that the strategy of diversifying revenue sources, especially from digital financial services, insurance and investment, is showing clear effectiveness. The cost-to-income ratio (CIR) was at 27.3%, among the lowest in the system, demonstrating outstanding cost control ability. Consolidated net interest margin (NIM) reached 4.1%, maintained at a high level, thanks to optimizing the structure of profitable assets and a large proportion of CASA. Thereby, continuing to maintain MB's position in the Big 5 group of leading banks in the market in terms of operational efficiency, fundamental strength, and maintaining competitive advantages compared to banks of the same rank.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Nhu Anh, General Director of MB, said that in the first 6 months of 2025, MB has improved its processes/systems, extensively applied AI (artificial intelligence), Big Data (big data) in management and business decision making, boldly implemented core system conversion, and standardized pricing information. In particular, MB actively carried out social security work and paid tribute with 36 programs, with a budget of more than 80 billion VND.
|
|
|
Representatives of the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) attended the inauguration ceremony of the Great Unity House in Hanoi. Photo: PHUONG ANH |
Pioneering in financial transformation
Highly appreciating MB's business results in the first 6 months of the year, Dr. To Hoai Nam, Member of the National Council for Sustainable Development, Permanent Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, commented: MB has exploited the advantage of being a bank originating from the military with discipline, order and tight organization, thereby turning it into efficiency and business effectiveness in its operations.
The Bank has implemented many new programs at a rapid pace, for example, applying artificial intelligence in credit approval, automating internal operating processes and strongly developing the digital ecosystem. MB also has many proactive activities to seek and approach small and medium enterprises; support the opening of tax payment accounts, access to cash flow, preferential credit for many business households and this is the Bank's advantage.
“With the above potential, I hope MB will continue to increase its internal strength to become a pioneer bank in developing specific products for small and medium enterprises such as building a digital credit platform specifically for this group. In addition, the Bank should serve more deeply the group of small and micro enterprises, business households with a revenue scale of over 1 billion VND/year. This can be considered a task and responsibility in supporting disadvantaged areas in competition. MB is one of the few banks with financial potential, growth while maintaining discipline in the Army, relatively high quality staff, and a strong technology platform. I hope MB will soon become a leading bank for the Vietnamese small and medium enterprises to reach out to the international market; hold an important position as one of the pillars of financial technology in the digital age, pioneering in financial transformation. In addition to supporting small and medium enterprises, MB needs to expand comprehensive finance, targeting the agricultural sector, startups, investing in credit green energy, high-tech agriculture. These are the key points that create sustainable development momentum and MB's foundation can completely pioneer in those fields with high feasibility", Dr. To Hoai Nam emphasized.
|
Pickleball tournament organized by Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) in June 2025 to raise funds to plant 1 million trees in Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: PHUONG ANH |
Determining the vision of "Becoming a digital enterprise, a leading financial group" with the motto "Acceleration - Substance - Efficiency", Major General Luu Trung Thai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MB affirmed: In the last 6 months of 2025, MB aims to be in the top 1 in growth, labor productivity, efficiency in the Big 5 group; top 1 in number of customers, transactions and information security. MB also continues to launch the CSR (social responsibility) program "HiGreen - For a green Truong Sa" with the goal of 161 billion VND, planting 1 million trees on Truong Sa archipelago.
NGUYEN ANH VIET
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/kinh-te/cac-van-de/ngan-hang-thuong-mai-co-phan-quan-doi-tung-buoc-khang-dinh-vi-the-top-5-ngan-hang-viet-nam-839216
![[Maritime News] Container shipping faces overcapacity that will last until 2028](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/402x226/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/7/30/6d35cbc6b0f643fd97f8aa2e9bc87aea)
Comment (0)