US tariff pause sparks frenzy on Vietnamese stock market

The investor sentiment improved as both countries agreed to launch bilateral negotiations.

Right at the opening of Thursday's session, the VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE), Vietnam’s largest stock exchange, rocketed nearly 72 points.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, the index had broken through the 1,100-point support level, sparking concern.

However, optimism returned strongly today, pushing the index to the 1,166-point range.

Across all three stock exchanges in Vietnam, nearly 500 stocks hit their ceiling prices, while hundreds more saw significant gains.

Electronic trading boards lit up in green and purple, signaling a broad rally.

The momentum was so intense that some investors reported screen freezes and difficulties placing orders due to system overload.

“The whole market is ecstatic right now. It is surely hard to buy stocks today,” said Q.N., an investor in Hanoi.

“ I’m really happy as it feels like we’ve passed through the darkest days."

Industrial real estate stocks, which had recently seen sharp declines and weak liquidity, turned into Thursday’s market leaders.

Trading volumes spiked, with many stocks showing no sellers, a stark reversal from earlier sessions.

The market’s sharp turnaround came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on new tariffs targeting more than 75 countries, including Vietnam.

Besides, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc is working to negotiate with the U.S. side on tariff reduction, showing positive signals for market recovery, said the director of a securities company.

He also remarked that the ‘call margin’ pressure has largely been resolved, but some of the rebound may be driven by overreaction. As such, he urged investors to watch upcoming sessions closely.

Vietnam was not the only market lifted by the U.S. announcement. Asian stock indices also surged.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 jumped 8.6 percent, while the Topix rose eight percent.

South Korea’s Kospi climbed five percent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained six percent.

Wall Street also closed with strong gains overnight, driven by optimism over reduced trade tensions.

U.S. President Trump said on Wednesday he authorized a 90-day pause as part of his tariff plan but was also raising the tariff rate for China to 125 percent, effective immediately, reported Reuters.