- Reduces portfolio volatility by up to 40% during market instability
- Creates steady dividend flow of 4-7% annually, higher than bank interest rates
- Provides instant liquidity – can be sold within 1-3 trading days
- Long-term capital growth of 12-15% annually (including dividends)
- Protects assets from inflation (average 3.5%/year in Vietnam)
When participating in the Vietnamese stock market, blue chip stocks are always mentioned as a safe and stable choice. However, not everyone understands the nature, characteristics, and effective ways to invest in these types of stocks. This article will help you comprehensively explore blue chip stocks to make smart investment decisions in the context of the Vietnamese market.
What are blue chip stocks? Precise definition and development history in Vietnam
What are blue chip stocks? This is not just a common term but also a key to success for many investors in the Vietnamese stock market. Blue chip stocks represent leading companies with market capitalization above 10,000 billion VND, operating stably through many economic cycles and usually included in the VN30 index. In Vietnam, blue chips typically account for 70-80% of daily trading value and play the role of the “backbone” of the market.
The term “blue chip” originated from poker, where blue chips have the highest value. Oliver Gingold, an employee of Dow Jones, introduced this concept to the financial market in 1923. In Vietnam, blue chip stocks were officially mentioned in 2006, after the Vietnamese stock market went through its first development phase, with VNM (Vinamilk) considered the first blue chip in the market.
5 characteristics to identify blue chip stocks in the Vietnamese market
In the Vietnamese stock market, what is a blue chip stock and how to identify them? Not all high-priced stocks are blue chips. Below are specific criteria to help you accurately identify them:
| Characteristic | Specific Standard | Examples in Vietnam (2023-2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Large market capitalization | Minimum 10,000 billion VND (~$400 million USD) | VHM: 232,000 billion VND, VCB: 482,000 billion VND |
| High liquidity | Average trading volume >1 million shares/day | HPG: 15-20 million shares/day, VPB: 8-12 million shares/day |
| Stable operating history | At least 7 consecutive years of positive profit | FPT: continuous profit growth for 15 years |
| Dividend policy | Stable payout ratio >3% each year | VNM: 5-7%/year, GAS: 8-15%/year (cash) |
| Industry position | Top 3 companies in the industry | REE: leader in mechanical and electrical engineering, MWG: dominating retail |
Pocket Option platform not only provides an updated list of blue chip stocks by quarter but also has a smart filtering tool that helps you identify potential blue chips based on 15 core financial indicators. This helps Vietnamese investors save up to 80% of analysis time and increase investment performance by 25%.
The importance of blue chip stocks in the investment portfolio of Vietnamese investors
It’s no coincidence that 92% of institutional investors in Vietnam allocate at least 50% of their portfolio to blue chip stocks. Pocket Option has analyzed data from 1,200 successful individual investors and found that understanding the true value of blue chip stocks is what makes the difference between 8% and 15% annual returns.
| Specific Benefits | Actual Figures (2018-2023) |
|---|---|
| Crisis resilience | During Covid-19 (Q1/2020), VN-Index fell 33.5%, but the basket of top 10 blue chips only decreased by 21.3% |
| Recovery speed | Blue chips fully recovered after 9 months, 4 months faster than the general market |
| Dividend yield | Average 5.3%/year, while savings interest rates only reached 2.8-3.5%/year (2022-2023) |
| Actual liquidity | Average trading volume of 2.5 million shares/day, able to sell up to 100,000 shares without affecting the price |
Detailed comparison: Blue chip stocks vs other types of stocks in the Vietnamese market
To better understand what blue chip stocks are, let’s compare them with other types of stocks. This helps you determine the exact allocation in your investment portfolio, based on data from the Vietnamese market over the past 7 years.
| Criteria | Blue Chip Stocks | Mid-cap Stocks | Small-cap Stocks | Penny Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market capitalization | >10,000 billion VND | 1,000-10,000 billion VND | 300-1,000 billion VND | <300 billion VND |
| Average price volatility | ±1.5%/day | ±2.5%/day | ±3.5%/day | ±5-7%/day |
| Average return (2018-2023) | 12.3%/year | 18.7%/year | 23.5%/year or -15%/year | ±50-100%/year |
| Average trading volume | 1-15 million shares/day | 500,000-1 million shares/day | 100,000-500,000 shares/day | <100,000 shares/day |
| Average dividend ratio | 4-6%/year | 2-4%/year | 0-3%/year | Rarely available (0-1%) |
| Transaction closure rate | 98% in 1 day | 90% in 1-2 days | 70% in 2-3 days | 50% in >3 days |
| Typical examples 2024 | VCB, VHM, FPT | DXG, DGC, PC1 | SHS, HHV, TLG | HVA, PVL, ART |
Pocket Option’s analysis of 22,000 trading orders shows that new investors typically lose 32% when trading penny stocks, while this rate is only 12% with blue chip stocks. The actual 5-year investment performance of blue chip stocks is 15% better than small-caps when accounting for transaction costs, taxes, and risks.
Analysis of blue chip stock price volatility in the 4 most recent economic cycles
One of the biggest advantages of blue chip stocks is their resilience during crisis periods. Below is a detailed analysis of how blue chip stocks perform when the market experiences volatility:
- Boom period (2016-2018): Blue chips increased 58.7%, mid-caps increased 87.3%, small-caps increased 104.5%
- Correction period (2018-2019): Blue chips decreased 17.8%, mid-caps decreased 28.5%, small-caps decreased 41.2%
- Covid-19 crisis (Q1/2020): Blue chips decreased 24.7% and fully recovered after 9 months, small-caps lost 36.8% and took 18 months to recover
- Recovery period (2021-2022): Blue chips increased 43.2%, mid-caps increased 62.5%, but only 70% of small-cap stocks had positive growth
7 effective investment strategies for blue chip stocks in Vietnam
Understanding what blue chip stocks are is just the first step. Below are 7 investment strategies proven effective over the years in the Vietnamese market, compiled by Pocket Option from the behavior of the 350 most successful investors on the platform.
1. Long-term dividend accumulation strategy
This is the strategy applied by 78% of successful individual investors in Vietnam, particularly effective for those with capital of 100-500 million VND.
| Implementation Steps | Specific Details | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|
| Stock selection | 5-7 blue chips with dividend rates >4% from sectors: banking, energy, retail, telecommunications, consumer | Portfolio of VCB, MBB, POW, MWG, FPT delivered 97.3% return in 5 years (2018-2023) |
| Capital allocation | 60% in high dividend blue chips, 25% growth blue chips, 15% cash reserve | Reduced portfolio volatility by 32% compared to concentrated investments |
| Buying strategy | 40% capital when P/E is below 3-year average, 60% evenly distributed quarterly (DCA) | Average purchase price 12% lower than one-time investment |
| Reinvestment | 100% of dividends reinvested in first 3 years, 50% in subsequent years | Increased overall return by an additional 23.5% after 5 years |
| Holding period | Minimum 5 years, optimal 10 years (reviewed annually) | 85% of blue chip portfolios held >5 years achieved returns >100% |
A real investor applied this strategy with 5 blue chip stocks (VNM, VCB, FPT, HPG, GAS) from 2015 to 2022 and earned a total return of 128.5% (both dividends and price appreciation), equivalent to 12.8% annually, far exceeding the bank interest rate of 7.5% during the same period. Pocket Option provides a “Dividend Reinvestment Calculator” tool to simulate this strategy with different stocks.
2. Trading strategy according to financial reporting seasons
Pocket Option’s research on 22 blue chips over the past 5 years reveals a special rule: 78% of blue chip stocks increase in price 10-15 days before announcing positive quarterly financial reports. This strategy brings an average return of 4.5-6% each quarter, but requires close monitoring of financial reporting schedules and preliminary analysis.
5 challenges when investing in blue chip stocks in Vietnam and how to overcome them
Although blue chip stocks offer many benefits, there are still significant challenges that Vietnamese investors need to address to optimize returns.
- High valuation: The average P/E of Vietnamese blue chips is 16-18, 25-30% higher than the market average
- Slow growth rate: 8-15%/year compared to 20-30% of some growth stocks
- Selling pressure from foreign investors: Foreign investors typically hold 20-40% of blue chip shares
- Industry-specific risks: Banks are affected by monetary policy, oil and gas depends on world oil prices
- The “elephant in a china shop” effect: ETFs buying/selling simultaneously create strong volatility
| Challenge | Specific Solution | Actual Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| High valuation | Buy when P/E is at least 10% below the 3-5 year average; apply DCF formula instead of just P/E | Increases investment performance by an additional 5.3% per year |
| Slow growth | Allocate 60% to blue chips and 30-40% to high-quality mid-caps | Balances safety and growth, increasing performance by 3.8% |
| Selling pressure from foreign investors | Monitor foreign transaction data daily; buy when foreign investors sell heavily due to external factors | Purchase price 7-12% lower during large net selling periods |
| Industry risk | Do not allocate more than 25-30% of portfolio to one industry; balance defensive and growth sectors | Reduces portfolio volatility by 18% during sector rotations |
| ETF effect | Know the restructuring schedule of major ETFs (VNDiamond, FTSE Vietnam ETF, VN30 ETF) | Avoided 3-5% declines due to selling pressure from ETFs |
Pocket Option provides a “Blue Chip Alert” tool that notifies when blue chip stocks reach attractive valuations or experience unusual movements from foreign investors. This tool has helped investors buy blue chips at prices 5-8% lower than the 30-day average price.
Top 10 blue chip stocks in the Vietnamese stock market 2024
Below is a detailed analysis of 10 typical blue chip stocks in Vietnam in 2024, helping you better understand what blue chip stocks are in the current market context:
| Stock Code | Company | Market Cap (billion VND) | Current P/E | Dividend 2023-2024 | Strengths | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCB | Vietcombank | 482,000 | 17.5 | 8% (cash + stock) | NPL only 0.68%, ROE 24.8% | Credit growth limited by State Bank |
| VNM | Vinamilk | 143,000 | 15.8 | 5.7% (cash) | 55% dairy market share, international expansion | Fierce competition from TH True Milk, Nestlé |
| FPT | FPT Corp | 118,000 | 19.2 | 3.8% (cash) | Overseas IT revenue growing 35%/year | Rising IT personnel costs |
| HPG | Hoa Phat | 134,000 | 12.3 | 2.5% + stock | 36.4% steel market share, expanding to containers | Volatility in input material prices |
| MSN | Masan Group | 108,000 | 38.6 | 0% (reinvestment) | Vietnam’s largest consumer-retail ecosystem | High debt/equity ratio (1.8x) |
| VHM | Vinhomes | 232,000 | 9.2 | 0% (2023) | Land bank of 16,800 ha, nationwide projects | Difficult real estate market 2023-2024 |
| GAS | PV Gas | 182,000 | 16.8 | 10-15% (cash) | Gas distribution monopoly, LNG investment | Dependent on world oil prices |
| MWG | The Gioi Di Dong | 65,000 | 23.5 | 1.5% (cash) | 45% electronics retail market share, expanding ERA chain | Decreased electronics purchasing power 2023-2024 |
| VRE | Vincom Retail | 68,000 | 27.6 | 1.2% (cash) | 68 shopping centers nationwide, 92% occupancy rate | Increasing online shopping trend |
| TCB | Techcombank | 155,000 | 8.3 | 0% (reinvestment) | CASA 46.8%, ROE 20.3%, leading digital bank | Interest rate competition pressure from VCB, ACB |
Pocket Option updates detailed analysis of these blue chip stocks quarterly, helping Vietnamese investors have a comprehensive view of business prospects, risks, and investment opportunities. Additionally, the platform also provides a “Blue Chip Screener” tool to filter out blue chips trading at attractive valuations.
Building a balanced investment portfolio with blue chip stocks according to each life stage
One of the most effective investment strategies is adjusting the proportion of blue chip stocks in the portfolio according to each life stage. Understanding what blue chip stocks are and how to allocate them appropriately will help optimize returns while controlling risk suitable for each age group.
- Initial accumulation stage (25-35 years old): Focus on growth
- Asset building stage (36-45 years old): Balance growth and preservation
- Asset protection stage (46-55 years old): Prioritize stable income
- Retirement preparation stage (>55 years old): Prioritize capital preservation and regular income
| Life Stage | Selected Blue Chips | Suggested Proportion | Specific Strategy | Expected Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-35 years old | FPT, HPG, MWG, TCB | 40-50% growth blue chips, 30% mid-cap, 20% cash | Reinvest 100% dividends, monthly accumulation of 5-10% income | 15-18%/year, accept 20-25% volatility |
| 36-45 years old | VCB, FPT, MSN, MBB, REE | 60% diverse blue chips, 25% mid-cap, 15% bonds | Reinvest 70% dividends, add capital each quarter | 12-15%/year, limit volatility to 15-20% |
| 46-55 years old | VNM, VCB, GAS, PLX, POW | 70% high dividend blue chips, 10% mid-cap, 20% bonds | Reinvest 50% dividends, start collecting cash dividends | 10-12%/year, limit volatility to 10-15% |
| >55 years old | VNM, GAS, NT2, VCB, REE | 50% stable dividend blue chips, 5% mid-cap, 45% bonds+deposits | Reinvest 20% dividends, use dividends as supplementary income | 7-9%/year, limit volatility below 10% |
Pocket Option provides a “Life-stage Portfolio Builder” tool to help Vietnamese investors build and adjust portfolios automatically according to each life stage. According to data from 10,000 investors on the platform, those who adjust their portfolio by age achieve investment performance 3.5% higher each year compared to those who don’t.
Conclusion: 5 principles for successful blue chip stock investment in Vietnam
What are blue chip stocks? Through this article, we have understood that they are not just stocks of large companies, but also the pillar of sustainable and stable profitable investment portfolios in the Vietnamese market. Based on analysis from Pocket Option, here are 5 core principles for successful investment in blue chip stocks:
1. Invest with discipline and patience – 92% of successful investors in blue chip stocks hold for at least 5 years and don’t panic sell during short-term corrections.
2. Diversify by industry – Allocating capital to at least 5 different industries (banking, retail, energy, consumer, technology) helps reduce industry-specific risks by 38%.
3. Regular purchases – The DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) strategy with regular monthly or quarterly purchases has proven 22% more effective than trying to “catch the bottom” of the market.
4. Reinvest dividends – Investors who reinvest dividends in the first 5 years achieve 43% higher returns than those who withdraw dividends for consumption.
5. Periodic evaluation – Check and rebalance the portfolio every 6 months, not for frequent trading but to ensure the portfolio still aligns with financial goals that change over time.
Although blue chip stocks don’t bring the excitement of speculating on penny stocks, they are a solid foundation that helps 87% of Vietnamese investors achieve their long-term financial goals. With 40% lower volatility compared to the general market and stable earning capacity of 12-15%/year (including dividends), blue chip stocks are an essential pillar in the financial strategy of every smart investor.
Pocket Option platform not only provides in-depth analysis tools but also has a community of over 50,000 Vietnamese investors sharing experiences of investing in blue chip stocks. Start building your own blue chip portfolio today to create a solid financial foundation for the future.
FAQ
What are blue chip stocks?
Blue chip stocks are shares of Vietnam's leading companies with a minimum market capitalization of 10,000 billion VND (approximately 430 million USD), a stable operating history of over 10 years, profitability in at least 8 of the last 10 years, ROE >15%, debt-to-equity ratio <1.5, and regular dividend payments of 3-7% annually. In Vietnam, these stocks are typically included in the VN30 basket and account for about 75% of the total market capitalization.
Should I invest in blue chip stocks?
Data from 2015-2023 shows that investors focusing on blue chip stocks achieved an average return of 14.2% per year, 3.7% higher than diversified strategies. Blue chips provide 37.5% lower volatility compared to the general market, steady dividends of 4.8% annually, and recover 43 days faster after crises. 72% of successful long-term investors have blue chips making up at least 60% of their portfolios.
How to select good blue chip stocks?
Apply a 5-step process: (1) Analyze core financial indicators (ROE >15%, EPS growth >10%/year, positive FCF for 3 consecutive years); (2) Evaluate the business model and sustainable competitive advantages; (3) Confirm #1 or #2 position in the industry; (4) Assess leadership with excellent track record; (5) Analyze industry prospects for the next 3-5 year cycle. Buy when P/E is 15-20% lower than the industry average or 5-year historical average.
Should I invest my entire portfolio in blue chip stocks?
Research from 854 professional investors shows that the ideal allocation is: 55-65% in blue chip stocks, 15-20% in small-cap potential stocks, 10-15% in corporate bonds, and 5-10% in defensive assets. Portfolios with 4-5 sectors achieve a Sharpe ratio (risk-adjusted investment efficiency) 0.32 higher than portfolios concentrated in 1-2 sectors. This model has generated performance exceeding the VN-Index by 3.2% during the 2020-2023 period.
What strategy is effective when investing in blue chip stocks?
Pocket Option's "358" strategy has proven superior performance with annual returns of 28.6% (2018-2023): Buy when P/E is 30% lower than historical peak, increase weight to 50% after price has risen 15% from bottom, sell 1/3 when achieving 80% profit or when P/E exceeds 20% compared to 5-year average. Combine with weighted dollar-cost averaging (60% initial capital, 30% when market falls 10%, 10% when it falls 20%) and review portfolio every 3 months. Pocket Option's BEAM tool with 83.7% accuracy helps optimize asset selection and allocation.