
MSCI June 2026: 17 of 18 criteria met, forex access still unresolved
Five weeks from the MSCI annual review, Vietnam ticks 17 of 18 market access criteria. The one sticking point is forex liberalization. Three scenarios are on the table, and each one demands a different portfolio response.

April FOMC Minutes: Fed Leans Toward Hikes, Not Cuts
The April 2026 FOMC minutes reveal that a majority of Fed officials see further tightening as appropriate if inflation stays above 2%, upending the rate-cut thesis that many equity investors were counting on.

Three Forces Behind Vietnam's Red Board in a Green Asia
On the morning of May 21, VN-Index fell 0.77% to 1,898 points while KOSPI surged 6% and Nikkei 225 added 3.7%. Vietnam is not moving against the world. Three separate internal forces are driving the index, each with its own independent logic.

WTI Below $100: Three Things to Re-read Before the May 21 Session
WTI crude just fell below $100 for the first time since Hormuz was blockaded. The Iran risk premium built into BSR, GAS, and PLX over two months is starting to unwind.

Nvidia $81.6B: AI Profits Concentrate at the Chip Layer
On the same evening of May 20, Nvidia reported record revenue of $81.6 billion while Meta announced 8,000 layoffs. Two stories, one mechanism: AI profits are pooling at the chip infrastructure layer.

Vietnam's Fuel Fund Runs Dry: Three Scenarios for May 21
The BOG stabilization fund has barely VND 199.92 billion left as Brent recovers nearly 20% to USD 108/barrel. Wednesday's Ministry announcement will determine whether prices hold, rise, or fall on their own.

Q1 Profit Up 38.4%: Four Names Carry Half the Growth
Four companies contributed nearly half of the absolute profit increase across Vietnam's listed market in Q1/2026. Strip them out and the rest of the market grew just 15.4%. Both numbers are correct, but they tell entirely different stories.

DXG -6.88% on Bluemarq Launch Day: When Good News Is Already in the Price
Bluemarq Group officially launches, Q1 net profit surges 173%. So why did DXG fall sharply on the same day? Three mechanisms explain the paradox and what investors should watch next.

Life Insurance: Third Consecutive Decline, BVH Profit Powered by Interest, Not Insurance
New life insurance policies fell 22.2% and claims surged 20.3% in the first four months of 2026. This marks the third straight year of decline since the bancassurance scandal, and BVH's Q1 profit came entirely from its investment portfolio, not from underwriting.

US 30-Year Yield Hits 19-Year High, VN-Index Faces 1,900
The US 30-year Treasury yield hit 5.18% (a 19-year high) on May 19. Wall Street closed in the red, the VN-Index retreated from its all-time high. Three technical signals to watch for the next move.

FPT at a 2-Year Low, Yet Profit Still Up 16%
FPT shares have fallen to their lowest level in more than two years, losing roughly 25% year-to-date, while Q1 profit rose 16.3% and April's new contract bookings hit a record VND 6,143 billion. What is actually driving the near-term price?

Banks Pay 8% on Bonds, 5.9% on Deposits: Four Key Differences
MB Bank and Agribank are raising VND 25,000 billion in 7-10 year bonds at 8% per year, nearly 2.1 percentage points above their own savings rates. That gap is not unusual. It is the price banks must pay to fill a VND 2 million billion long-term funding gap across the entire system.

Brent Still at $110, Vietnam Oil Stocks Down 7%
On May 19, Brent crude fell just 1.58%, yet five major Vietnamese oil and gas stocks all hit their daily limit down. The session exposed a widespread misconception about oil-stock exposure.

Vietnam's Third IPO Wave Arrives at the Market Peak: Three Absorption Scenarios
VN-Index just hit an all-time high. The government convened to review divestment at 23 state conglomerates, and LPBS launched a VND 4,256 billion IPO. The question is no longer whether a new IPO wave is coming; it's how the secondary market will absorb it.

ACB: Three Foreign Funds Sell, Au Lac Group Lifts Stake to 6%
Three foreign funds have reduced their ACB holdings for three different reasons, while the domestic Au Lac group accumulated a 6% stake. Four decisions, four separate theses: not a single signal to copy.