News about Vietnam

In an interview, Dr. Bùi Quang Tuấn, former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, reviews the 2026 localisation and supplier development conference organised by Vingroup and VinFast, which drew nearly 1,000 businesses and signals an industrial ecosystem led by a flagship firm. He argues that this leadership gives Vietnamese suppliers room to upgrade technology, improve their position in global value chains and compete internationally. Long-term commitments such as 12 to 24-month volume forecasts and land-rent incentives help smaller firms feel confident about large investments. He points to three opportunities: market expansion through VinFast's production sites in several countries, technology upgrading, and wider spillover to other businesses.

As of the afternoon of October 19, 20 securities companies had reported Q3 2026 results. TCBS (ticker TCX) posted pre-tax profit of VND 2,152 billion in Q3, its highest quarterly level on record, driven mainly by margin lending and advances on sales proceeds, which generated net income of VND 1,548 billion, up 55%. JBSV's pre-tax profit exceeded VND 46 billion, three times the same period last year, supported by lending and underwriting. In contrast, DSC's Q3 pre-tax profit fell 98% as proprietary trading weakened and costs rose; Pinetree's fell 28%; ASAM posted a pre-tax loss of over VND 1 billion, and VISC swung to a loss of over VND 812 million.

On the afternoon of 19/10, domestic gold prices fell by 500 to 800 thousand VND per tael. SJC's 9999 gold rings fell 800,000 VND to 139.3–142.3 million VND per tael, PNJ fell 700,000 VND, DOJI held at 139.1–143.1 million VND, and Bảo Tín Minh Châu rose slightly. Gold bars at SJC, PNJ, DOJI and Bảo Tín Mạnh Hải fell 500,000 VND across the board to 140.1–143.1 million VND per tael, while Bảo Tín Minh Châu rose 100,000 VND on the buy side and fell 500,000 VND on the sell side. Internationally, gold traded around 4,160–4,180 USD per ounce as investors await US data and the Fed meeting on 27–28/10. From 16/10, gold purchases and sales of 5 million VND or more a day must be paid by non-cash means under Decree No. 390/2026/NĐ-CP.

VN-Index fell 29.18 points (1.68%) in the October 12-16 week to 1,705.91, its fourth straight weekly decline and down 4.4% year to date. Liquidity weakened, with average market trading value down 27.3% to VND 14,576 billion, while foreign investors net sold VND 3,141 billion in the week and VND 115,503 billion year to date. MBS flagged the 1,650-point zone, the July 2026 bottom, as a key support level to watch for the October 19-23 week. The report cited Q3 GDP growth of 9.95% and Brent crude closing the week at USD 109.86 per barrel, and MBS noted October has the weakest performance of the year. Experts advise choosing stocks based on business results rather than chasing sector rotations.

At the Group 3 session, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng asked National Assembly deputies to keep contributing to the draft amended Law on Property Auctions, focusing on four issues: the scope of application and selection of auction organizations; participation, bidding and deposits; online auctions and bid increments; and cancellation of auction results and protection of bona fide buyers. For auctions of land-use rights, the process must be linked to the land pricing mechanism under land law. The Prime Minister stressed that the most important goal is controlling prices of social housing, rental housing and housing for policy beneficiaries and low-income people, preventing abnormal and unreasonable price spikes. The high-end segment can develop according to market demand, while related laws must be harmonized.

Vietnam's top leaders are pressing banks to cut lending rates by 1.5-2 percentage points for priority sectors and to reduce deposit rates by at least 0.5 percentage point for maturities of six months or longer. Higher funding costs have pushed some deposit rates above 9% and floating mortgage rates as high as 12-19%, while outstanding credit reached about 20.75 quadrillion dong (US$800 billion) at end-September, up 11.6% year to date. Maybank Investment Bank Vietnam says lending rates have likely peaked and could ease toward a healthier 7-10%, while HSC cautions that preferential programmes should not be read as the start of a broader easing cycle. SSI Research estimates announced megaprojects could absorb at least 30% of net new bank credit between 2026 and 2030, even as the economy expanded more than 9% in the first nine months of 2026.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng called for tight control over the prices of social housing and rental housing so that low-income people and policy beneficiaries can access homes without unreasonable or sudden increases. Speaking during a National Assembly group session on the draft amended Law on Asset Auctions, he said auction procedures must be carefully reviewed against related laws, including the Land Law, Housing Law and Real Estate Business Law. He noted that auctioning land-use rights is key to allocating land to investors, and localities will set land price frameworks and adjustment coefficients. He also warned that unclear or incomplete implementing rules would make it hard for localities to apply the law.

This technical analysis is based on real-time data up to the close of the October 17, 2026 morning session, showing VN-Index still choppy, with morning volume rising and signaling investor hesitation. The index is retesting its August 2026 low zone of 1,715–1,735 points, which had been broken earlier, while hugging the Lower Band of the Bollinger Bands and MACD staying weak below zero. For HNX-Index, the index is moving sideways with a High Wave Candle, sits below the Bollinger Bands' Middle Band, and its Stochastic Oscillator is crossing down through the signal line. The article sees the short-term outlook as still negative, with risks rising if these indicators weaken further, and notes the signals are for reference only.

Maybank says lending rates may have peaked after a 16 October meeting in which a deputy minister and banks pledged to cut priority-sector lending rates by 150-200 basis points. The State Bank also asked banks to cut deposit rates for 6-month and longer terms by at least 50 basis points, and BIDV, Vietcombank and Agribank pledged 200 basis point loan cuts through the end of 2026. However, reductions will be uneven across sectors, the conditions for the loan packages have not been disclosed, and a sustainable broad decline to a reasonable level of around 7-10% would require lower capital costs across the system. Longer term, based on Maybank's review of past rating upgrades, achieving investment-grade status could cut Vietnam's foreign borrowing costs by 150-250 basis points, and Maybank expects the upgrade to be accelerated in 2027.

On the morning of 19 October, domestic gold prices were flat, with SJC gold bars quoted at 140.6 million dong to buy and 143.6 million dong to sell per tael at major dealers such as Sài Gòn and Doji. Phú Quý's SJC bars traded at 140–143.6 million dong and its gold rings at 140–143 million dong, while Bảo Tín Minh Châu's rings were at 138.7–142.7 million dong, up 100,000 dong from the previous session. International gold hovered around US$4,184 per ounce, equivalent to about 131.5 million dong per tael at the Vietcombank rate, leaving a gap of roughly 12 million dong with SJC bars. The State Bank's central rate stood at 25,633 dong per US dollar, down 4 dong.

MBS says the VN-Index has fallen for four consecutive weeks under pressure from unfavorable seasonality, high interest rates and weakening cash flow. Indonesia's experience shows that transparency, foreign ownership limit (FOL) and liquidity issues can lead to MSCI reclassification and ETF selling pressure. After FTSE Russell upgraded Vietnam to Secondary Emerging Market status, MBS sees maintaining those standards over the long term as harder than meeting them, so institutional and governance reforms must continue. Over the past 10 years the VN-Index has averaged a decline of over 2% in October, and it fell in each October from 2022 to 2025. MBS views the 1,650-point July bottom as notable support and recommends changing trading strategy rather than chasing sector-wide rallies.

On the morning of October 19, SJC gold bars quoted by SJC in HCMC were at about 140.6 million VND per tael to buy and 143.6 million to sell, steadier after last week's swings around 145–146 million. Bao Tin Manh Hai's SJC bars fell 0.3 million VND per tael on both sides, while Phu Quy and DOJI posted slight gains or held flat. World gold traded at US$4,182.265 per ounce, up 0.40% from the previous session. Silver rebounded strongly, with global prices at US$57.65 per ounce.

Vietstock's Technical Analysis Department reviews 10 hot stocks, ACV, BSR, BVH, DPM, HDB, NLG, SAB, VNM, VCB and VJC, selected by market capitalization, liquidity and investor interest, for short-term reference only. Based on the 16/10/2026 session, ACV and SAB show MACD crossing above its signal line, while HDB has moved above the Bollinger Bands middle line and broken its May 2026 peak on volume well above the 20-day average. In contrast, BVH, DPM and NLG show Stochastic or MACD crossing below signal lines, signaling short-term risk. For BSR, VCB, VJC and VNM, the report highlights key support or resistance levels, with volume mostly below or not above its 20-day average.

The VIB Visa ONE Card lets cardholders choose up to 3 of 5 spending categories (Shopping, Travel, Education, Insurance and Overseas Spending), with cashback of up to 9%, capped at VND 18 million per year and with no minimum spending requirement. The chosen categories can change as priorities shift across life stages, and one physical card can stay with the holder through Gold, Platinum and Signature tiers. The article also cites Visa's 2026 payment trends in Vietnam, where consumers are spending more on premium experiences and digital payments. Its central message is 'More is good, but only ONE is enough.'

Quang Ninh Party Secretary Quan Minh Cuong said the province cannot grow below 10% or its party secretary and chairman would be removed, but argued that not every province should be required to reach 10%, citing the difficult mountainous terrain of Cao Bang. Quang Ninh grew 11% in Q1 and 15% in Q3, and he pledged to keep growth at 15% in Q4. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said the national economy grew 9.01% in the first nine months and the government remains committed to double-digit growth, despite inflation pressure and some officials' reluctance to take responsibility. Hanoi grew 8.85% in the first nine months and would need 16.55% in Q4 to reach double-digit growth, which Hanoi Party Secretary Tran Duc Thang called very difficult. Hanoi's average CPI rose 4.91% over nine months, above the national figure of 4.52%.

As of October 19, 13 securities firms had reported Q3 2026 results, with 7 posting profits and 6 losses. KAFI recorded Q3 operating revenue of nearly 981 billion VND, up 15%, but pre-tax profit fell nearly 13% to 171 billion VND as financial expenses rose 53% to nearly 351 billion VND, mainly interest expense of over 319 billion VND. For the first nine months, KAFI posted operating revenue of over 3,004 billion VND (up 63%) and after-tax profit of over 431 billion VND. Guotai Haitong (Vietnam) saw Q3 pre-tax profit jump 165% to over 14 billion VND on lending and investment income, while Đại Việt still posted a pre-tax loss of nearly 3.9 billion VND, narrower than the 4.1 billion VND loss a year earlier.

VN-Index closed the week at 1,705.91 points, down 1.58% from the previous week. Analysts expect further technical rebounds next week, but say this is not yet enough to confirm a bottom: 1,680–1,700 points is seen as nearby support and 1,715–1,750 points as resistance. Views differ on the next move: KBS warns the index could retest 1,650–1,670 points if selling by blue chips and foreign investors continues, while AseanSC says it must clear 1,715–1,735 points to confirm a bottom. The article suggests investors keep moderate exposure and watch liquidity and the Q3 reporting season, with the disclosure deadline on October 20.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng said the government will amend the fuel business decree and restructure the electricity sector to cut intermediary layers and lower input costs for the economy. The draft fuel decree would reduce trader categories to four, and the number of wholesalers is expected to fall to 14-15 under stricter rules, such as owning at least 40 retail stores and storage capacity of at least 15,000 m3. The PM said nine-month inflation was held at 4.52%, but world fuel prices rose 65% to nearly 90%, and without tax adjustments domestic fuel prices could rise 60-80%. Vietnam's fuel prices are low compared with regional peers, and the budget faces a major revenue shortfall, though the government still implements these measures to share the burden with the economy and consumers. The EVN restructuring plan is being submitted to the government, and land and property prices may fall once the amended Land Law is passed.

The deputy prime minister urged the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to swiftly cut lending rates by 1.5–2 percentage points for production, business and government-prioritized sectors, while keeping financial stability and inflation under control. The push comes as the average lending rate reached 10.7% in August, up 0.2 percentage points from July and around three percentage points from a year earlier; personal loans reached 17–18%, and some banks' deposit rates neared 10%. Small and medium-sized businesses said they still struggle to access preferential credit, and one food business owner repaid a 9–10% loan but was quoted 13–14% for a new one. The government also ordered tighter supervision over bad debts, risky real estate lending, cross-ownership and banking misconduct, requiring banks to publicly disclose lending rates and facing penalties for noncompliance. BIDV launched short-term dong loans from six percent a year on October 15, and Vietcombank pledged to cut lending rates by at least two percentage points a year through the end of 2026.