Vietnam Insight

S&P 500 hits fresh record ahead of jobs report. Stocks in the US advanced on Thursday as investors weighed fresh labor market data and boosted bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut later this month. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to close at new high, the Nasdaq gained 0.9%, and the Dow advanced 350 points. Data showed private payrolls grew by only 54K in August, well below forecasts, while jobless claims rose to their highest since June—evidence of a cooling labor market. Still, traders saw the slowdown as supportive of a September rate cut, with Fed funds futures pricing in over a 95% chance of a reduction, while a stronger-than-expected ISM services PMI reading pointed to resilience in the broader economy

The uptrend continues. VNINDEX closed at 1,6896.29 (+14.99 points, +0.89%) with liquidity lower than the 20-session average. The market recorded 195 gainers and 130 losers. The strongest contributors to the market’s rally were VCB, HPG, and VPB, while MBB, VJC, and VHM dragged the market down. Foreign investors recorded a strong net sell of more than 750 billion VND, focusing on VPB and VHM.

Trading Strategy: The priority strategy is to hold positions and be ready to take profit at target levels. For short-term traders, if the market corrects toward the 1,600 zone and rebounds, a light allocation can be considered. If the market pulls back toward 1,500, it will present a clearer buying opportunity for medium-term positions. Investors may allocate more aggressively, focusing on stocks with strong catalysts such as index reclassification, robust earnings growth, or valuations lower than the overall market.