Vietnam's Sacombank sees 38 pct gross profit rise

HANOI, March 19 (Reuters) - Sacombank STB.HM, Vietnam's sixth-largest bank, said on Wednesday it expected a 38 percent rise in gross profit this year to 2 trillion dong ($125 million) and lending growth of 34 percent.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based bank's assets should expand 46.5 percent to 93 trillion dong this year and deposits jump 48 percent to 80 trillion dong, it said in a statement after a shareholder meeting on Monday. ($1=16,005 dong) (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Michael Battye)