The Lao Securities Exchange (LSX) is set to add a fourth company to its listings in the year's final quarter, says chairman and chief executive Dethphouvang Moularat.
Mr Dethphouvang said several companies are seeking a listing on the LSX.
The one deemed readiest is Petroleum Trading Lao (PetroTrade), which will begin trading in the fourth quarter.
APM (Lao) Securities Co, the Laotian unit of Thailand's Asset Pro Management, is PetroTrade's financial adviser.
Mr Dethphouvang said several firms from energy and aviation, including Lao Airlines, are unready to list and require improved business structures and accounting to meet LSX standards.
"The LSX is a very young market at only three years old and we are still learning from other markets like the Stock Exchange of Thailand," he said. "The SET helped us with setting up the market and all its knowledge about stock trading."
He said the Laotian bourse will miss joining in single-market Asean trading by 2015 but plans to catch up by 2018.
The LSX has three listed companies at the moment: Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao Plc (BCEL), EDL Generation Plc (EDL-Gen) and Lao World Plc (LWPC).
Foreign investors from Thailand, Japan, China and elsewhere make up 80% of LSX trade, and local investors the rest.
APM chief executive Somphob Sakpunpanom said he has five firms awaiting listings on the LSX, with PetroTrade first up after submitting its filing to the exchange.
The others will follow next year.
PetroTrade runs 110 petrol stations in Laos. It has prepared to list for about two years.
The company plans to raise between 500 million and 1 billion baht in an initial public offering before expanding into Cambodia and Vietnam.
PetroTrade is currently preparing its business expansion for building fuel storage facilities in Champasak province and Vientiane.
Back in the Thai IPO arena, Mr Somphob sees a positive trend under the new government.
"There are five or six clients awaiting listings on the SET over the next six months, mostly small and midsized enterprises," he said.