Vietnam Insight

Delay in releasing the September nonfarm payrolls report scheduled for Friday. US stock futures held near flat on Friday after Wall Street posted fresh highs in the previous session, with the AI-driven rally remaining the main catalyst amid renewed excitement around OpenAI. On Thursday, the Dow and S&P 500 added 0.06% and 0.17%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.39%. Technology stocks led the gains, lifted by AI momentum, with Nvidia up 0.9%, AMD climbing 3.5%, and Intel jumping 3.8%. Optimism was further fueled by OpenAI’s $6.6 billion share sale, which valued the firm at $500 billion, alongside news of a landmark partnership with South Korean chipmakers. Meanwhile, investors tracked political developments in Washington, where President Trump threatened mass federal job cuts to pressure Democrats as the government shutdown entered its second day. The closure has also triggered a data blackout, forcing the Labor Department to delay Friday’s September nonfarm payrolls release.

Sideway waiting for further news. VNINDEX closed at 1,652.71 (-12.34 points, -0.74%) with liquidity remaining low. The market recorded 84 advancers and 243 decliners. The group of stocks contributing most to the market’s gain were VIC, MBB, and TCB, while the biggest draggers were VHM, VPB, and VRE. Foreign investors continued their net selling trend with a value of more than VND 2,300 billion.

Trading Strategy: Prioritize a hold strategy while being ready to sell when targets are achieved. For short-term traders: if the market corrects toward 1,600 and bounces, consider deploying a small allocation. If the index retreats to the 1,540 region, this would present a clearer medium-term buying opportunity. Investors can allocate more aggressively, focusing on stocks with strong drivers such as beneficiaries of the upgrade, companies with robust earnings growth, or those with valuations below the market average.