Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) held on April 8 its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, where shareholders approved the bank’s business plan and key initiatives for the year 2025 - a pivotal year in ACB’s 2025–2030 five-year development strategy.

For 2025, ACB aims for a pre-tax profit of VND23,000 billion ($920 million), up 9.5 per cent from 2024, supported by a focus on sustainable growth, risk management, and asset quality. A 25 per cent dividend payout was also approved, comprising 10 per cent in cash and 15 per cent in shares. This continues the bank’s five-year trend of high dividends, including three years of cash distributions, and reflects a consistent business performance and commitment to shareholder returns.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Tran Hung Huy, Chairman of the Board, said: “ACB has concluded its previous five-year strategy with notable achievements - tripling profits and delivering consistently high and balanced dividends. Looking ahead, the Vietnam’s economy and financial market would face various challenges in terms of increasing competition and stricter compliance requirements. To meet our strategic goals, ACB will continue to invest in infrastructure and new technology to enhance efficiency and strengthen risk control, with a focus on safety and security.”

In 2025, ACB will continue pursuing its goal of becoming a leading retail bank in both scale and profitability, laying a foundation for the next five-year phase. Key targets include 14 per cent growth in total assets and deposits (including valuable papers), and 16 per cent credit growth. While retail banking remains a core business, the bank also plans to increase its focus on corporate banking, particularly with leading enterprises and FDI clients.

Addressing questions about how economic developments might affect 2025 targets, Mr. Tu Tien Phat, CEO of ACB, said: “Despite economic challenges, including recent US tariff policies, ACB remains committed to its 2025 credit growth targets. Preliminary estimates for Q1 2025 show credit growth exceeding 3 per cent, deposit growth above 2 per cent, and a slight decline in the non-performing loan ratio to 1.34 per cent, indicating effective operational and risk management.”

In line with these targets, ACB plans to expand credit and deposits while maintaining a close watch on asset quality. It will also aim to increase fee-based income, especially in cards and international payments, and continue investing in its subsidiaries to diversify financial products and enhance group performance. Investments in digital banking, modern technology, and secure operational solutions remain a priority.

In 2024, ACB posted a pre-tax profit of VND21,006 billion ($840.24 million), placing it among the top seven banks with profits exceeding VND20,000 billion ($800 million), and among the top three most profitable private banks. The bank completed its 2019–2024 goals, nearly reaching its ambition of being Vietnam’s leading retail bank, with profits tripling and return on equity (ROE) consistently above 20 per cent. By the end of 2024, total assets reached VND864 trillion ($34.56 billion), up over 20 per cent year-on-year and 7 per cent above plan. Loans to customers totaled VND581 trillion ($23.24 billion), a record 19.1 per cent credit growth, well above the sector average and the highest in a decade for the bank.

Beyond financial performance, ACB continued to support government policies and State Bank of Vietnam initiatives through competitive lending rates and preferential housing loans for young customers. The bank has also streamlined loan procedures and offered online disbursement to improve access to banking services.

ACB is one of 10 banks selected by the State Bank of Vietnam to pilot the Internal Ratings-Based (IRB) approach for credit risk and capital management, marking a move toward international Basel standards and enhanced risk control.

According to recent credit rating updates, Moody’s maintained ACB’s outlook at “Stable,” while Fitch Ratings upgraded the outlook from “Stable” to “Positive” in 2024. Domestically, FiinRatings assigned ACB the highest long-term issuer rating of “AA+” with a “Stable” outlook. In March 2025, ACB was named one of Vietnam’s Top 10 Best Banks by Decision Lab (partner of YouGov) and saw an improvement in its brand health score. As part of its sustainable finance strategy, ACB introduced a Sustainable Finance Framework and disbursed VND4,000 billion ($160 million) in 2024 to support businesses aligned with sustainability goals.