What to read before the stock market opens on 8 April 2026

A roundup of notable domestic and international financial and economic news in the past 24 hours ahead of today’s trading session.

Trading flows and market activity

In the 07/04 session, proprietary trading desks of securities firms bought net on HOSE, with a strong focus on KBC. By contrast, foreign investors continued to net-sell heavily, with emphasis on bank-sector stocks.

Market activity also picked up: Vietnamese investors opened stock trading accounts at the strongest pace in nearly four years. Data from the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (VSDC) showed more than 346.4 thousand new accounts in the period, the highest level since July 2022, bringing the total to nearly 12.7 million accounts.

Corporate leverage, dividends and capital plans

TNI Nam Quang reported total liabilities exceeding 11 trillion dong, about four times equity, while profits were only a few billion.

SCS aims for a record profit of 960 billion dong and plans to pay a 50% cash dividend. The company also plans to issue ESOPs to employees, according to documents prepared for the AGM on the morning of 28/04.

Dat Xanh Group missed a 20% dividend, considering a name change. After 2025 failed to meet its plan and dividend delays continued, the group said it is entering 2026 aiming to resume growth, push M&A, raise capital, and consider a name change to fit its new strategy.

CII continues to suspend dividends to focus on projects totaling nearly 540,000 billion dong. The company plans to withhold dividends to marshal resources for a series of infrastructure and real estate projects and to issue a large amount of convertible bonds.

WSS remains cautious after 2025’s exceptional earnings. The firm intends to raise 1,000 billion dong via private placement and plans its 2026 AGM on 29/04 in Hanoi, aiming for a more cautious plan than last year.

LPBank reported net income exceeding 1,000 billion dong from the first tranche of bond issuance, and said it will add to capital.

Ownership moves and shareholder meeting updates

Eu-Lac group increased its ownership in ACB to above 5%. Ms. Nguyen Thien Hương Jenny bought 931,700 ACB shares on 26/03, lifting the total stake held by Eu-Lac group and related parties to 5.01%.

CII changed how it invites shareholders to meetings, with cash incentives that could reach tens of millions. This year, the company ties benefits to the number of shares held.

Infrastructure, real estate and investment proposals

Sovico Group proposed joining a consortium with HDBank to invest in a 99-story tower at the Vietnam International Financial Center (VIFC) in Ho Chi Minh City, under the banner of the city’s development goals.

DC4 seeks to move into industrial park infrastructure and plans to develop NOXH (social housing) projects in Hue. The company aims to invest in social housing projects totaling over 2,000 trillion dong and to borrow about 1,500 billion dong to support investment capacity.

Sector and project developments

Quang Ngai Sugar JSC (UPCoM: QNS) approved key plans at its 2026 AGM on 04/04, including an Ethanol production project with total investment over 1.7 trillion dong, previously approved at last year’s AGM.

Vinaship plans to sell two old ships—Vinaship Gold and My Hung—in 2026, targeting pretax profit of about 130 billion dong (up 139%).

Banking and interest-rate signals

Lending rates for some sectors rose to as much as 15%, with proposals to cut. A survey by the Ho Chi Minh City Enterprises Association on Q1 indicated that despite macro instability, many firms expect better conditions in Q2 due to lag effects.

NHNN increased liquidity through open market operations (OMO). In the week of 30/03–06/04, interbank rates moved sharply, and the State Bank of Vietnam intervened proactively via OMO to stabilize the system.

Deposit rates continued to rise into early April as the macro environment evolved, while the central bank signaled stabilization in the market.

Market outlook themes and external commentary

Analyst Jim Cramer argued that stock market bottoms are tied to interest rates rather than war news, saying investors should not rush to assume the market has bottomed.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned about private credit risk, cautioning that losses in the private credit sector could be higher than currently forecast given looser lending standards across a broad period of growth.

The article also noted that high interest rates have been a nemesis for stock markets, emphasizing that interest rates are a macro variable with strong influence behind many stock market cycles.

Exchange and carbon market updates

Vietnam Securities Exchange plans after-tax profit of nearly 3,000 billion dong and said the carbon market is expected to operate in May. For 2026, it intends to strengthen governance and oversight to ensure market sustainability and transparency, build an information technology–driven market management system, and increase linkage and international integration.