Banks 'running for the year' 2025: Voices from shareholders' meetings

The 2025 annual general meeting of shareholders of the banking industry continues to be vibrant with different "colors": Prosperity and Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (PGBank) maintains its stability principle after the merger; An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ABBANK) calmly transforms with a digital transformation strategy, while Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) clearly demonstrates its leading position through record numbers...

“Safe” and stable

At PGBank, the mark after a quarter of returning to HDBank is still true "safety". The congress took place with the spirit of a series of "no"s: no change in board of directors, no dividend payment, no adjustment of charter capital to emphasize one thing: The current time is to consolidate the foundation. Although the pre-tax profit plan for 2025 only stops at 385 billion VND, in the context of many merger echoes, that number reflects the necessary caution. PGBank this year is not "ambitious", but that does not mean it lacks internal strength, when calculating the end of the first quarter of 2025, the bank has completed 53% of the annual profit target.

As of March 31, 2025, PGBank's total assets reached VND 74,890 billion, an increase of 25% over the same period (VND 58,763 billion) and an increase of 2.5% compared to the end of 2024 (VND 73,015 billion). Capital mobilization from market 1 (capital mobilization from people and organizations) grew steadily, reaching VND 46,717 billion, an increase of 25% over the same period (VND 37,244 billion), while outstanding credit reached VND 45,347 billion, an increase of 29% over the same period (VND 35,186 billion), ... these figures reflect PGBank's flexibility in credit management in line with the State Bank's orientation.

The bank's total operating income grew positively by 34.4%, reaching VND505.7 billion. Net profit from business activities before credit risk provisioning expenses reached VND242.5 billion, a sharp increase of 53.4% ​​over the same period. Pre-tax profit in the first quarter reached VND95.9 billion, completing 13.4% of this year's provisional plan. The bad debt ratio was controlled at 2.09%, continuing to maintain at a safe threshold.

By the end of the first quarter of 2025, PGBank had completed 53% of its annual profit target. Photo: Duy Minh

Regarding the structure of operating income, PGBank's net interest income increased by 21.4% over the same period, equivalent to an increase of VND80.7 billion, reaching VND458.3 billion, the highest in many years, thanks to the bank's promotion of customer growth and diversification of revenue sources. Revenue from credit activities accounted for a large proportion, accounting for 90.6% of the bank's total revenue.

In addition, non-interest income in the quarter also recorded positive changes, due to high growth from service activities, securities investment, foreign exchange, and other businesses.

Also aiming for safety and stability, at the 2025 annual general meeting of shareholders, Vietnam Public Joint Stock Commercial Bank (PVcomBank) reaffirmed its selective development strategy, focusing on efficiency, risk control and sustainable growth.

According to the approved restructuring roadmap, in 2025, PVcomBank aims to achieve consolidated revenue of VND 19,949 billion and pre-tax profit of VND 111 billion. The bank continues to prioritize solutions to improve service quality, modernize technology, effectively handle debt and develop human resources, gradually build a solid financial foundation, be ready to adapt to market fluctuations and meet the increasing demands of customers.

ABBANK General Meeting of Shareholders. Photo: Duy Minh

Transform with digital transformation strategy

In another slice of the banking picture, at the shareholders' meeting, ABBANK established 5 key tasks in 2025: Promoting platform business, streamlining the apparatus, enhancing competitiveness, proactively managing risks and implementing sustainable development initiatives according to ESG standards. In particular, the "customer-centric" strategy continues to be concretized through network restructuring and extensive digitalization.

Accordingly, the focus is on the pre-tax profit plan in 2025 reaching VND 1,800 billion, an impressive growth of 131% compared to 2024. At the same time, many key financial targets are also set: Total assets are expected to reach VND 200,000 billion (up 13%), mobilization from customers and issuance of valuable papers reaching VND 115,458 billion (up 5%), outstanding credit reaching VND 127,810 billion (up 16%). ABBANK aims to control the bad debt ratio below 3%, striving to reduce it to 2%, in compliance with Circular 11/2021/TT-NHNN.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABBANK, Mr. Dao Manh Khang affirmed: “ABBANK is entering a period of strong growth on the basis of drastic transformation. We continue to accelerate digital transformation, strengthen internal strength and implement a sustainable development strategy with high determination”.

VietinBank has identified 2025 as a pivotal year to accelerate the implementation of the Development Strategy to 2025 and Vision to 2030. Photo: Duy Minh

At VietinBank, the congress atmosphere was once again exciting with a series of record results. In 2024, total consolidated assets reached VND 2.39 quadrillion (up 17.4%), outstanding credit reached VND 1.73 quadrillion (up 16.8%), mobilized capital was nearly VND 1.76 quadrillion (up 15.2%). Notably, CASA capital reached nearly VND 400 trillion, putting VietinBank in the industry's leading group in terms of CASA scale and growth rate. Individual pre-tax profit in 2024 reached VND 30,400 billion, up 25% over the previous year and completing 115% of the shareholder-assigned plan.

In digital transformation, VietinBank has implemented 45 key initiatives, launching many convenient products such as DigiGOLD, online disbursement, online guarantee. The Digital Factory is operated according to the Agile method, optimizing time to market and continuously improving based on real-life feedback.

VietinBank has identified 2025 as a pivotal year, accelerating the implementation of the Development Strategy to 2025 and Vision to 2030. The Bank focuses on 4 strategies: Core income growth; increasing engagement and becoming the main transaction bank for customers; effective resource management; improving risk management capacity. In particular, digital transformation continues to be a core pillar, along with income growth, ecosystem exploitation and sustainable development.

Four banks, four different rhythms. But the notable common point is the shift from hot growth to effective management, risk control, and strategic repositioning. Flexibility and adaptation will be the decisive factors in 2025, a year predicted to be full of fluctuations not only in the domestic financial market but also in the global economy.

Thuy Linh

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ngan-hang-chay-da-2025-nhung-tieng-noi-tu-dai-hoi-co-dong-383906.html