Gates Foundation, Dragon Capital emerge as major shareholders in FPT Retail

Funds linked to Bill Gates and Vietnam-focused asset manager Dragon Capital have become major shareholders in FPT Digital Retail JSC (HoSE: FRT), signaling rising foreign investor confidence in the company’s growth trajectory.

According to a filing with the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, a group of foreign investors, including Dragon Capital-managed funds and the Gates Foundation Trust, raised their combined stake above the 5% threshold following transactions earlier this week.

A Long Chau pharmacy and FPT Shop store. Photo courtesy of FPT Retail.

A Long Chau pharmacy and FPT Shop store. Photo courtesy of FPT Retail.

The group now holds approximately 8.53 million shares, equivalent to 5.01% of FPT Retail’s charter capital.

Among the buyers, Hanoi Investments Holdings Limited acquired 100,000 shares, Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited purchased 80,000 shares, and Norges Bank added 30,000 shares.

The Gates Foundation Trust holds a relatively small stake of 66,087 shares, while the largest positions are concentrated in Hanoi Investments Holdings Limited (2.97 million shares), Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (2.17 million shares), and Amersham Industries Limited (1.7 million shares).

The move comes as FPT Retail, a subsidiary of FPT Corporation, outlines an ambitious expansion plan for 2026. The company targets net revenue of VND59.5 trillion ($2.26 billion) and pre-tax profit of VND1.55 trillion ($58.84 million), representing year-on-year increases of 16% and 27%, respectively.

A key strategic priority is diversification into new business lines, including drone-related services. The company is seeking shareholder approval to enter the distribution, leasing and pilot training of unmanned aerial vehicles, aiming to tap into Vietnam’s nascent low-altitude economy.

This expansion builds on strong momentum in 2025, when FPT Retail recorded consolidated revenue of VND51.08 trillion ($1.94 billion). Its pharmacy chain, Long Chau, remained the primary growth engine, contributing around 68% of total revenue, reflecting robust demand for healthcare retail services.

Meanwhile, its core electronics retail chain, FPT Shop, returned to profitability after a period of restructuring, supported by improved operational efficiency.

To support its growth plans, the company has proposed a 5% stock dividend for 2025, expected to be completed before the end of the third quarter of 2026.

The increased ownership by foreign institutional investors underscores growing confidence in FPT Retail’s transformation strategy, particularly its shift toward higher-margin segments such as pharmaceuticals and technology-driven services.

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Big Bend, Texas, residents push back on Trump’s border wall

April 3, 2026, 5:10 a.m. ET On the Friday, April 3, 2026, episode of The Excerpt podcast: In Big Bend, Texas, residents across party lines are voicing strong opposition to the Trump administration’s plans for a new border wall, arguing it would disrupt communities and threaten a beloved region along the Rio Grande. USA TODAY National

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos Push for Space Data Centers. Scientists Ask Why.

From the coming SpaceX IPO excitement to Nvidia’s foray into space computing, data centers in space have become the tech industry’s new favorite talking point. Loading audio narration… The space economy could become a $1.8 trillion opportunity by 2035, according to consulting firm McKinsey and Company. At the same time, while some major companies are

Cuba to free more than 2,000 prisoners as economic crisis deepens under US pressure

Havana —  Cuba’s government will free 2,010 prisoners in the largest such release in years, it announced Thursday, as the island buckles under increasing pressure from the Trump administration. The government decided to grant its pardon based on the inmates’ good conduct, their health status, and the nature of their “acts committed,” according to the notice

Karoline Leavitt says Trump hired her as press secretary in casual call

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! There was no formal meeting and no big announcement, just a brief phone call. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump informed her she had the job in a simple post-election call, telling her: “Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be

Trump news at a glance: president gives his loyal enforcer the boot | Trump administration

Spring cleaning has begun at the White House. Donald Trump on Thursday fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, dismissing a loyalist who reshaped the justice department but still failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated with the politically explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. “We love Pam,” Trump

Tiger Woods called Trump after DUI crash: video

Booking photo of Tiger Woods. Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff’s Department Golf legend Tiger Woods told a police officer that he spoke to President Donald Trump on the phone shortly after his DUI rollover crash in Florida, a bodycam video obtained by TMZ and published Thursday shows. “Thank you so much. All right. You got it.

April Carney among new appointees to FSCJ Board of Trustees

4 new members and 4 reappointments were announced Thursday. Some well-known names in Florida politics are becoming Trustees at Florida State College at Jacksonville, including a current elected official. April Carney, the current Vice Chair of the Duval County School Board is among Gov. Ron DeSantis’ picks for the college’s Board of Trustees. DeSantis also

Trump’s new role for USPS in mail balloting is unconstitutional, three lawsuits say

Democrats compared President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to overhaul elections to George Orwell’s “1984,” in one of three lawsuits now challenging Tuesday’s executive order, which instructs the US Postal Service to determine who does and doesn’t receive a mail ballot. Democratic congressional leaders and organizations, as well as two separate coalitions of voter advocacy groups,

Pam Bondi’s ouster makes Donald Trump’s DOJ even more dangerous

Early in the first Trump administration, the legal journalist Benjamin Wittes coined one of the best descriptions of how President Donald Trump governs: “malevolence tempered by incompetence.” Trump, as Wittes originally wrote, often issued executive orders that were not vetted by lawyers or policy experts — and thus were vulnerable to lawsuits and often achieved

The Jeff Bezos-Backed Pickup Truck Might Be The Wrecking Ball The Industry Needs

If you haven’t caught the hype yet, a new company has surfaced after three years of developing a new low-cost, truly bare-bones, electric truck. Backed by Jeff Bezos money and a slew of industry talent on-board, the truck is designed to disrupt the automotive industry with a new vehicle people can actually afford – we’ll

Trump says Pam Bondi, a loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, is out as attorney general

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies. The announcement follows months

President Trump’s Iran Address Left Critical Questions Unanswered

Donald Trump addressed the nation on the Iran War last night. To judge by news reports, his goal was to reframe the public debate in his favor. Poll after poll shows that Americans remain deeply skeptical about the war’s merits and likely consequences. That skepticism has persisted despite the administration’s insistence that Operation Epic Fury

Hailee Steinfeld Gives Birth to Her and Josh Allen’s First Child

THE RUNDOWN Hailee Steinfeld revealed that she and husband Josh Allen have welcomed their first child together. The actress shared the news via her Substack newsletter, Beau Society. Steinfeld gave birth to a baby girl and thanked fans for their well wishes. Hailee Steinfeld is officially a mom! The Sinners actress recently welcomed her and

Howie Mandel regrets apology video after Kelly Ripa interview

Updated April 2, 2026, 9:22 a.m. ET Howie Mandel’s got regrets. The “America’s Got Talent” judge, 70, said on the “Hot Mics with Billy Bush” podcast he now somewhat regrets posting a lighthearted video where he apologized to Kelly Ripa following a viral appearance on her talk show. “I kind of regret making the post,”

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x