What to read before the stock market opens on 13 April 2026

Quick updates on domestic and global economic and financial developments over the weekend before the market opens.

Dividend and fuel tax updates

For the week of 13-17/04, one UPCoM-listed company announced a 130% cash dividend.

Gasoline and fuel taxes are set to remain at 0% for more than two months. From 16/04 to 30/06/2026, gasoline, aviation fuels, and related products will benefit from tax relief, including an environmental protection tax reduced to 0 đồng per liter, a special consumption tax down to 0%, and no value-added tax payable.

Domestic market and investment activity

In the week of 06-10/04/2026, fund activity showed a net buying bias, with net buying predominating over net selling.

VIC and the banking group helped lift the VN-Index back to around 1,750 points. Market breadth improved during 06-10/04, led by large-cap names, notably VIC and the banking sector.

Investment and project calls

For the investment call period 04-10/04/2026, a tourism mega-project valued at over 18,000 billion VND was proposed on Tha La Peninsula in Ho Chi Minh City. During the same week, four provinces called for investment in four projects totaling over 20.2 trillion VND, with the over 18,000 billion VND tourism project highlighted in HCMC.

Policy and legal developments

The government has proposed narrowing notarial-required transactions from 22 to 16, while preserving notary requirements for real estate by domain to manage risk.

From 01/03/2026, the Investment Law 2025 takes effect, adjusting the investment framework. Key concerns include the transfer of special investment projects such as real estate, industrial zones, and infrastructure, which are used as tools to restructure projects, resolve debt, and unlock new funding.

The Ministry of Finance also revised regulations to broaden investment scope and cap stock fund limits, aiming to strengthen market development.

Corporate and banking news

TPBank CEO said the funding base remains stable around 7%, creating room to lower funding costs as macro stability supports easing.

Several banks cut deposit rates from 10/04 following central bank guidance.

SeABank lowered its deposit rate by 0.5% per year in line with government policy.

TVS nominated Mr. Ly Xuan Hai to the board of directors, while a BKS member resigned due to long tenure.

HMC AGM: Q1 sales nearly doubled versus the same period, and pre-tax profit rose 73% amid stronger steel demand.

VBMA reported that March’s buyback volume and early redemption activity continued to ease. As of 31/03/2026, five corporate bond issuances in March totaled over 16.3 trillion VND.

Huy Thanh Jewelry underwent a surprise inspection; violation records were forwarded to tax authorities.

Global developments: AI, inflation, and supply chains

The US warned of new AI-driven risks to the banking system. If misused, a new AI model named Mythos could intrude into payment systems, disrupt lending, or steal data from millions of customers.

US Treasury and the Fed convened an emergency meeting to warn about AI cybersecurity risks.

Fed news: Inflation rose to 3.3% in March due to energy prices, with higher energy costs pushing inflation higher and moving away from the Fed’s target.

Iran conflict concerns were also raised. Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines CEO warned that the Iran war could drive a major restructuring of global supply chains and sustain inflationary pressure.

ESG, market behavior, and investment themes

Behavioral economics behind social media was highlighted, noting that Big Tech’s multibillion-dollar profits come at the expense of youth welfare. The World Happiness Report 2026 described attention-driven business models as traps and warned of ESG investment risk tied to erosion of human capital.

On investment behavior, the note cautioned that survivorship bias can obscure market reality, as investors often hear about those who “narrowly bought the bottom,” while those who “caught the knife” and remain under water are rarely shared.

ESG reporting standards should align with business strategy, with firms focusing on material issues, demonstrating ESG integration, and ensuring reporting reflects real business impact.

With valuations converging toward fundamentals, the outlook suggested sectors such as infrastructure spending, banks, retail, and securities as potential destinations for capital when markets stop offering easy profits.

Other items mentioned

• Proposal on a “green passport” for Europe: experts noted Europe remains promising but highly selective, with mandatory standards required for market access.
• Questions on foreign capital after an upgrade: domestic funds may engage with international institutions, but investor appetite and deployment plans remain uncertain ahead of a post-FTSE Russell reassessment.
• Vietnam M&A in March 2026: deals were described as dispersed, with small deal sizes dominating.
• Transfer conditions and approvals: the Investment Law 2025 framework was cited as changing how special investment projects may be transferred and approved.
• “Envelope” practices at AGMs: corporate gifts to attendees at annual general meetings were linked to governance questions as markets expand and investor behavior evolves.
• US Fed’s preferred inflation measure at 3% was referenced in the context of the broader macro backdrop.