AsemconnectVietnam - On April 8th, Vietnam International Commercial Bank (VIB - Code: VIB) held its 2026 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), approving a pre-tax profit plan of VND11,500 billion, a 27% increase compared to 2025.

Along with that, VIB expects credit growth of 15%, estimated at VND439,968 billion; deposit growth of 26%, estimated at VND415,968 billion. The bank's total assets are estimated to increase by 15% compared to the previous year to over VND637,000 billion. The non-performing loan ratio will be maintained below 3% (at the end of 2025 it will be 2.2%).
The General Meeting also approved a plan to distribute a 9% cash dividend and a plan to increase charter capital from over VND34,040 billion to a maximum of VND37,354 billion, equivalent to a 9.74% increase, through two forms.
Specifically, VIB plans to issue over 323 million bonus shares, at a rate of 9.5%, and 8 million ESOP shares as bonuses for employees with good performance in 2025 (without collecting money from employees).
VIB Chairman Dang Khac Vy stated that 2026 is a transitional year – concluding VIB 2.0 and serving as a springboard for VIB 3.0 starting on January 1, 2027. Therefore, 2026 will be the foundation for building a smart, innovative business model, establishing standards for new generation financial products and services for the VIB 3.0 phase (2027-2036). During the VIB 3.0 phase, the bank maintained a growth rate of 20-30% per year.
Notably, during the discussion, Chairman Dang Khac Vu shared information about the divestment of foreign shareholder CBA and plans to attract new foreign strategic shareholders in the future.
Mr. Vu stated that CBA is an excellent partner, one of the world's leading banks with AAA/AA credit ratings and a market capitalization of over US$150 billion. However, to meet Basel III capital requirements and internal capital adequacy ratios (CAR), CBA has changed its global strategy. They have closed offices in Hong Kong (China) and Japan, and divested from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, etc., and the divestment from VIB is almost the final step in their exit strategy.
VIB is cooperating very well with major partners such as Visa and Mastercard. In addition, VIB's capital base is extremely solid. Return on equity (ROE) has consistently remained around 23% for the past 9 years (compared to the industry average of only 13-14%). VIB has always been a pioneer in applying international standards, with its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) according to Basel III standards currently at 12.2% - significantly higher than the 8-8.5% required by the State Bank of Vietnam.
"VIB is always open, but not in a hurry, regarding the criteria for selecting new strategic shareholders. Any strategic partner wishing to join VIB must meet two core requirements: creating enormous strategic synergy value for VIB and providing significant financial resources and the best benefits for existing shareholders.
With the expectation that the Vietnamese stock market will be upgraded in September, foreign capital will flow in strongly. Combined with the launch of VIB 3.0 in early 2027, we believe that VIB will attract partners that bring enormous synergistic and financial value to shareholders," Mr. Vu emphasized.
Answering a question about the cost of capital in the context of rising interest rates, Mr. Dang Khac Vy said that VIB is accelerating the application of AI in all its operations, especially in credit scoring and customer behavior analysis. The risk scoring system allows banks to individualize interest rates for each customer: high-risk groups receive a risk premium, while good customers enjoy competitive capital costs. As a result, VIB's lending interest rates remain reasonable, while deposit rates are still attractive enough without needing to participate in a rate hike race.
Adding to the market perspective, Mr. Le Quang Trung, Director of Capital and Foreign Exchange, stated that the scenario of the Fed maintaining high interest rates for an extended period would put pressure on the exchange rate and domestic interest rates, while simultaneously encouraging capital flows back to the US. In fact, foreign investors have shown a net outflow in the early months of the year, adding further pressure to the Vietnamese financial market.
However, Mr. Trung emphasized that VIB's cost of capital remains under control thanks to its stable deposit base and strategy of not engaging in a rate race. The bank maintains a high ratio of deposits from the primary market while proactively diversifying its funding sources, with a plan to raise approximately US$1 billion from international markets in 2026. Domestic interest rates are projected to face pressure in the second and third quarters but will gradually stabilize from the end of the year as funds return to the system.
Regarding core business, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mong Tuong, Deputy General Director in charge of Individual Customers, stated that the bank continues to identify retail banking as a growth pillar. From 2026, VIB will implement the “5-5-5” model, comprising five strategic product pillars, five customer segments throughout the lifecycle (expanding to include household businesses and micro-enterprises), and five distribution channels, combining physical networks and digital platforms. The focus of this phase is upgrading the personalized financial experience using AI and data.
N.Nga
Source: VITIC/Tinnhanhchungkhoan