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Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung, chairman of PAN Group, said he does not engineer stock price swings or pledge a stock price, and instead focuses on increasing shareholder value through the group’s core business activities.
Speaking at PAN’s annual shareholders meeting on April 21, Hung said shareholders ask about the stock price every year. He responded that the market determines the price and that he does not provide guidance on buying or selling shares.
Hung said investors have different strategies, with some buying to sell at higher prices and others accumulating for the long term. He emphasized transparency about his actions and said he is working to grow shareholder value year by year.
“I do not engineer stock price swings or participate in buying or selling my own stock. I can speak to the stock's value based on valuation, but a price commitment is not possible,” Hung said.
On the stock exchange, PAN shares are trading around 32,600 dong, with a market capitalization of more than 6.8 trillion dong. The share price is up about 23% from the start of the year and has rebounded strongly since the company completed the Bibica divestment.
PAN, the parent company of Bibica, recently transferred its stake to Indonesia’s Momogi Group to receive 1,748 billion dong. The transaction is in addition to 880 billion dong in dividends and proceeds from the prior sale of related real estate.
Hung said PAN is an investment conglomerate primarily focused on agriculture. He noted that the confectionery segment is not part of the group’s core strategy, so divestment is necessary.
He added that one key criterion when selecting a divestment partner is the ability to preserve and grow a brand that is over 70 years old.
PAN aims for consolidated net revenue of 18,000 billion dong this year, up 2% from last year. The company said any revenue shortfalls after Bibica’s divestment are expected to be offset by growth in other subsidiaries.
PAN has dozens of subsidiaries, including Vinaseed, Sao Ta, Lafoco, Viet Nam Disinfectant, and Nha Trang 584 Fish Sauce. The group said these businesses hold leading market shares in seeds, pesticides, disinfection, and pest control. It also cited other areas such as shrimp exports, fish sauce, and nutritional seeds as among the top five in the sector.
PAN expects after-tax profit for the year to reach 1,780 billion dong, 50% higher than the year-ago period. The plan includes expected profits from the Bibica divestment. Excluding this item and related matters, PAN said net profit attributable to the parent company’s shareholders rose about 18%.
For the first quarter, PAN reported after-tax profit on its standalone financial statements of 1,094 billion dong, which the company said is 40 times the same period.
PAN plans to distribute nearly 630 billion dong in cash dividends this year, representing a 30% payout, equivalent to 3,000 dong per share. In addition, the company will issue bonus shares at a 20% rate.
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