VEA announced 2018 NPAT-MI of VND7.1tn (USD303mn), up 40% YoY. This stellar performance was primarily driven by a jump in shared profits from associates, which, in turn, was underpinned by strong sales and profit growth at Honda Vietnam and Toyota Vietnam as well as the recognition of Ford Vietnam’s profit contribution in 2018. Bottom-line growth was further bolstered by a steep reduction in operating loss and a spike in Q4 2018 “other income”.