Morning Briefing, April 24: The First Session of the 16th National Assembly held its closing session on the morning of April 24

Macroeconomic News:

• United States: Initial jobless claims for the week ending April 18 reached 214,000 (forecast: 210,000; previous: 208,000 (revised to 207,000)). Continuing jobless claims: 1.821 million, compared to the forecast of 1.820 million.
• United States: The preliminary April 2026 Composite PMI index reached 52 (forecast: 50.5; previous: 50.3). The Manufacturing PMI reached 54 (forecast: 52.5; previous: 52.3). The Services PMI reached 51.3 (forecast: 50.3; previous: 49.8).
• Europe: The preliminary composite PMI for April 2026 reached 48.6 (forecast: 50.1; previous: 50.7). The preliminary services PMI reached 47.4 (forecast: 49.8; previous: 50.2). Preliminary Manufacturing PMI reached 52.2 (forecast: 50.9; previous: 51.6).
• Vietnam: Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung jointly attended a roundtable discussion at the Vietnam-Korea Economic Forum themed “Enhancing Partnerships in Industry, Investment, and Science and Technology,” featuring leading businesses from Vietnam and South Korea across various sectors including energy, finance, technology, electronics, and more.
• Vietnam: The First Session of the 16th National Assembly held its closing session on the morning of April 24. During this second phase of the session, the National Assembly carried out personnel appointments and organizational restructuring of the state apparatus in accordance with the Constitution; conducted legislative work; and reviewed and adopted numerous important resolutions on economic and social issues, the state budget, and other significant matters.
• Vietnam: The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance have continued to adjust fuel prices, with E5 RON92 gasoline now priced at 21,834 VND per liter, RON95-III gasoline reduced to 22,880 VND per liter, and 0.05S diesel down to 26,697 VND per liter.

Market News:

• Vietnam: On April 23, in Hanoi, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung held talks with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. The two ministers agreed that Vietnam and Estonia still have significant potential for cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology,
• VGI: At the 2026 Annual General Meeting, the parent company set a consolidated revenue target of 52.561 trillion VND and plans to allocate over 10.044 trillion VND to pay cash dividends for 2025, corresponding to a 33% ratio (each share receives 3,300 VND).
• ELC: At the 2026 AGM, ELCOM set a revenue target of 1,745 billion VND, representing a 15% increase compared to 2025 results; post-tax profit is targeted at 142.8 billion VND, an 11% increase. The maximum dividend payout is 10%. The company also announced plans to enter the real estate sector.
• SJS: At the 2026 Annual General Meeting, SJS set targets for consolidated revenue of 2,450 billion VND, post-tax profit of 1,195 billion VND, and production value of 1,925 billion VND. The 2026 dividend is expected to range from 10% to 15%.
• DPM: First-quarter 2026 financial results show estimated total revenue of VND 5,706 billion, achieving 150% of the quarterly plan and 32% of the annual plan. Pre-tax profit is estimated at VND 515 billion, reaching 61% of the 2026 annual plan.
• BID: On April 23, 2026, in Hanoi, Vietnam National Payment Corporation (NAPAS) collaborated with GLN International and the two settlement banks, BIDV and Hana Bank, to host a launch ceremony for the cross-border QR payment service between Vietnam and South Korea, opening up new opportunities for tourism and trade.

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Source: BIDV Securities (BSC)