Introduction
This article covers how to buy foreign stocks â specifically Vietnam stocks â on SBI Securities, including screenshots.
To buy foreign stocks on SBI Securities, you need to either purchase shares in the local currency (foreign currency settlement) or in Japanese yen (yen settlement). Vietnam stocks are handled in foreign currency only.
For more basic information about foreign stocks on SBI Securities, see the official page below:
SBI Securities â Basic Information on Foreign Stocks
If you have questions along the way, SBIâs FAQ is also helpful:
SBI Securities â Foreign Stock FAQ
Buying Foreign Stocks on a PC
Step 1: Prepare the Foreign Currency for Your Target Stock
The first thing to do is acquire the local currency for the stock you want to buy (in this case, Vietnamese Dong).
[Step 1] Log in to SBI Securities, open the âForex Tradingâ screen under the âTradingâ tab, select âVietnamese Dongâ from the currency list, click âBuyâ under the buy/sell option, and press âGo to Order Entry.â
[Step 2] Enter the amount of Vietnamese Dong you want to buy (in VND). The âReference Rateâ shows the approximate rate at which youâll be purchasing. The âProvisional Rateâ indicates the margin youâll need available (if you want a specific yen amount, use the âForex Simulationâ feature to calculate).
After entering the amount, input your trading password and press âGo to Confirmation Screen.â For this example, Iâll try buying „2,000,000 worth.
Note on forex spreads: The rate on the SBI market page and the actual transaction rate can differ considerably.
For example, when I checked: the âReference Rate (per 10,000 VND)â was „51.1 to buy and „47.1 to sell â a spread of „4, which is very wide (close to 8%).
This means that if you invest in Vietnam stocks, youâll need to earn at least enough profit to cover this spread before coming out ahead. This is one reason why, if youâre investing in emerging-market stocks, you should target high-return stocks rather than simply riding general market growth.
[Step 3] On the âOrder Detailsâ screen, carefully verify the purchase currency and quantity. Vietnamese Dong involves very large numbers, so itâs easy for the yen equivalent to end up different from what you expected.
If everything looks correct, press âPlace Orderâ to finalize. As you can see from the âContract Dateâ and âSettlement Dateâ fields, Vietnamese Dong (VND) settles once per business day at 11:00 AM.
Once the order is placed, youâll see the screen above. Wait until the Settlement Date. You can also review your order under the âOrder Inquiryâ tab and cancel before it fills (I havenât tried this myself, so there may be some restrictions).
[Step 4] When the Contract Date arrives, check the âOrder Historyâ tab to confirm what happened.
Search using a date range that includes your order date:
The âExecution Rateâ shows the actual rate you paid. In this case it was „49.4, which was significantly below the Reference Rate at order time â larger orders may execute at better rates.
[Step 5] From the SBI Securities logged-in homepage, find the âForeign Stocksâ panel on the right side and click âTrade.â
Open âAccount Informationâ > âAccount Summaryâ under the âAccount Managementâ tab. Confirm that the Vietnamese Dong you purchased is reflected in both âBuying Powerâ and âPortfolio Value.â
Foreign currency is now ready. Next: placing the stock order.
Ordering the Foreign Stock
Once you have the local currency, placing the stock order itself is straightforward.
[Step 1] Click âTradeâ under âForeign Stocksâ from the SBI Securities homepage (same as Step 5 above).
[Step 2] On the foreign stock top page, click the âTradeâ tab, select the country tab (Vietnam in this case), click âBuy,â enter the ticker symbol, and press âShow Price.â If you already know the price, you can skip this and go straight to the order entry.
If you donât know the ticker symbol, you can search for it under the âInvestment Informationâ tab.
[Step 3] Review the price, then enter the number of shares and your target price (in VND), check all remaining fields, enter your trading password, and press âGo to Confirmation Screen.â For this example, Iâll try buying around 3,000 shares of Hoa Phat Group (HPG) at the previous dayâs close.
[Step 4] Review the order confirmation screen. If everything is correct, press âPlace Orderâ to submit.
[Step 5] After the order is placed, youâll see this screen. Now wait and hope it fills!
[Step 6] After the Vietnam trading session ends for the day, go to âAccount Managementâ > âAccount Informationâ > âAccount Summaryâ to check whether your order filled.
If the stock appears as shown, your Vietnam stock purchase is complete. You can also check the exact execution price under âAccount Managementâ > âTrade History.â
Buying Foreign Stocks on a Smartphone (Note: Not Available in the App)
SBI Securitiesâ smartphone app does not support foreign stock trading. Youâll need to use a mobile browser in PC mode.
SBI Securities FAQ â What transactions are supported on smartphones?
To access the PC version of SBI Securities on a smartphone: open SBI Securities in your mobile browser (e.g., Chrome), log in, and tap the âPC Siteâ link.
Youâll then see the standard PC login screen. Enter your credentials and proceed as you would on a desktop.
The PC site on a smartphone is a bit cramped, but usable.
Closing Notes
This article summarized how to buy Vietnam stocks on SBI Securities, both as a personal reference and as a beginnerâs guide.
Vietnamâs market has a lot of potential â if the economy continues to develop, the stock market should become increasingly active.
That said, foreign stocks carry correspondingly higher risks. Donât buy simply because I introduced something â make sure you have your own solid reasons and have thought through your worst-case risk management before investing.
Thank you for reading.
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