Vietnam Insight

June jobs report came in below expectations. US equity indices closed mixed on Thursday, as tech volatility gripped trading ahead of the holiday, despite easing concerns over rate hikes. The S&P 500 was flat and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.8%. Chipmaker stocks fell for a second day as investors questioned whether AI optimism had pushed valuations beyond reasonable levels. Fresh developments included reports that OpenAI was in talks to sell a 5% stake to the US government, while Meta (-4.9%) said it may monetize its excess compute capacity. Micron Technology sank 7%, Applied Materials slipped 7.4%, and Advanced Micro Devices dropped 4.3%. SanDisk (-14%) and Marvell (-9.8%) tanked. Tesla fell 7.5% despite a strong deliveries report. Still, the Dow climbed 595 points to a new record high amid strength in traditional sectors, as a softer-than-expected June jobs report pushed back expectations of an imminent Fed hike. Apple gained 4.8%, while Visa and Walmart both rose around 3%. For the week, the index added about 1.8%.

Accumulating ahead of a breakout. VN-Index closed at 1,866.35 points, down 0.86 points (-0.05%), with trading volume remaining below the 20-day average. The market recorded 122 gainers and 164 decliners. VIC, VHM, and HCM were the largest positive contributors to the index, while VCB, BID, and TCB weighed the most on market performance. Foreign investors posted a net sell of VND 439 billion, with the largest net selling concentrated in TCB, HPG, and MSN.

Trading Strategy: Investors may focus on stocks with sideways consolidation patterns and strong earnings growth rather than concentrating solely on VN-Index fluctuations for medium-term positioning. In the short term, opportunities may emerge in heavily sold off stocks showing signs of recovery, such as insurance, technology, and real estate sectors. Investors should limit the use of margin when the trend is not clearly defined during this period.

Current portfolio: MBB; CTD

Watchlist: HPG, KDH, SSI, Real estate stocks (PDR, NLG, DXG)