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Investors' deposits with securities firms increased modestly in Q1 2026, rising 15.3% quarter-on-quarter to nearly VND 114.3 trillion, according to FiinTrade data. This data indicates that cash waiting to invest in securities has begun to return after a sharp outflow in Q4 2025. In Q4 2025, the amount of waiting money deposited by investors with securities firms fell sharply, by almost 29%, to about VND 98.7 trillion, after peaking in Q3 2025. However, the size of buy-side waiting money in Q1 2026 remained about 17.6% below the historical peak (around VND 138.8 trillion), suggesting that prospective demand has not yet fully recovered. The increase in waiting money occurred amid higher market liquidity in Q1, indicating improved investor sentiment. From the start of the year through Q1 2026, the average daily trading value reached VND 35,004 billion per session, up 19.9% compared with the 2025 average. Nevertheless, market sentiment remains cautious due to Middle East regional risks, limiting broader upward momentum. Another reason for the rising waiting money is the growing cash weight in investment funds. Redemptions by funds rose in March 2026, with net outflows of more than VND 5.4 trillion, up 59% from February 2026, according to FiinTrade. Net fund flows continued to concentrate mainly in equity funds (64%) and ETF funds. After months of net inflows since December 2025, net outflows returned to more than VND 3.2 trillion in ETF funds in March 2026, the highest since August 2025. Outflows were led by foreign VanEck Vietnam ETF (-1.9 trillion) — the fund's largest outflow — and domestic DCVFMVN DIAMOND ETF (-1.0 trillion) after recording net inflows of over VND 163 billion in the previous month. In March 2026, the trend of disbursement reductions returned to most equity open-end funds (20 of 36 funds) after reducing cash holdings in February, reflecting increased caution among fund managers as the VN-Index fell about 11% from the prior month. Notably, the shift toward higher cash weights was concentrated in larger funds (NAV about VND 5-8 trillion), while smaller funds reduced cash levels, as seen in funds such as DCDS and VINACAPITAL-VMEEF, which raised nearly VND 197 billion and VND 111 billion respectively in March 2026.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
