How consumer behavior is changing amid covid 19

US stocks rally again as China premier warns on Covid-hit economy, illustration photo source: freepik.com After a positive session in Europe, the S&P 500 finished Thursday's session up two percent, positioning the broad-based US index to potentially snap a seven-week losing streak depending on Friday's session. "The market was very oversold, and way overdue to bounce," Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investment said shortly before the market closed. "And what's happening now, the market is bouncing pretty strong." Stock markets have taken a beating this year as central banks have begun to raise interest rates in order to curb the highest consumer price rises in decades. But US stocks pushed higher on Wednesday after investors took a positive view of the Federal Reserve minutes, which raised hopes that while the central bank would move aggressively to lift interest rates, it might be able to halt additional rate hikes as soon as this summer if inflation recedes. Wall Street kept … [Read more...] about US stocks rally again as China premier warns on Covid-hit economy

Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech fuels Hong Kong rally- illustration photo source: freepik.com The positive mood put the region on course to end the week on a healthy note, and came after Federal Reserve minutes indicated the US central bank could take a breather in hiking interest rates if inflation shows signs of easing later in the year. Still, confidence on trading floors remains at a premium owing to a range of crises including soaring prices, tighter monetary policy, China's Covid-19 lockdowns and the war in Ukraine. Investors were in a buying mood Friday as Hong Kong jumped more than two percent, with market heavyweight Alibaba piling on more than 11 percent and search engine Baidu advancing 15 percent. The two firms posted better-than-expected sales growth in the January-March quarter, soothing fears about the impact of Covid and inflation on their bottom lines. Hong Kong's tech index jumped nearly three percent, with other giants also enjoying buying … [Read more...] about Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech fuels Hong Kong rally

After a year of not raising tuition fees due to the impacts of Covid-19, the Hanoi people's council passed a resolution on May 20 to hike public preschool and high school tuition fees for the 2022-23 academic year. The fees would double at first and subsequently increase by 20-40 percent every year. Sen, 43, lives in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District with her husband and two daughters, the other in 10th grade. She cleans houses for hourly wages while her husband is a laborer. They pay the highest tuition rate since their household registration is in Region 1, which comprises the capital’s inner districts. In addition, she may be required to pay VND300,000 ($12.93) per child per month for the following academic year, which is 1.4-2 times the current fee. Tuition fees for middle and high schools in Region 1 will gradually rise over the next three years to VND410,000, VND530,000, and VND650,000, respectively. Meanwhile, Sen and her husband's incomes fluctuate every month: Sometimes … [Read more...] about Hanoi parents brace for tuition hikes

S&P forecast Vietnam’s GDP will grow 6.9% in 2022 before settling closer to its long-term trend of growing 6.5%-7% from 2023 onward. S&P Global Ratings on May 26 raised its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Vietnam to 'BB+' from 'BB'. S&P expects Vietnam's economy to continue its upward trend. Source: S&P The rating agency also affirmed the country’s short-term rating at ‘B’ with a stable outlook. “The stable outlook reflects our expectations that over the next 12-24 months, Vietnam's economy will continue to recover from the challenges posed by the pandemic over the past two years. This will support the external position and rein in fiscal deficits,” it noted. S&P added it could raise the ratings if Vietnam's institutional settings improve considerably, in ways that augment policy predictability and transparency. Such favorable changes in the policy environment could bolster investor confidence in the … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s long-term credit rating upgraded to “BB+”: S&P

The administration of Binh Duong province, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney and Becamex IDC Corporation, organized an investment promotion seminar in Sydney on May 27. Binh Duong promotes investment opportunities in Australia. (Photo: baobinhduong.vn) In his remarks, Consul General Nguyen Dang Thang introduced to Australian officials and businesses the potential for expanding trade and investment in Vietnam, affirming that the two countries have treasured a close relationship in various fields, including politics, diplomacy, trade and investment. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Australia reached a record high of more than US$12.4 billion in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 49.45%. The first four months of this year alone also saw bilateral trade grow impressively, reaching US$4.8 billion, up 32.37% compared to the same period of last year. With regard to investment, as … [Read more...] about Vietnam seeks Australian investment opportunities in Sydney

Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last night by the Vietnam News Agency. – Senior Party officials of Vietnam and Cuba have agreed that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, regular meetings and exchanges between the two Parties and countries vividly demonstrate their special friendship. Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee held online talks with Roberto Morales Ojeda, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee on May 26. Read full story - Asia needs to play a greater role in maintaining and fostering a peaceful and stable environment conducive to development and prosperity in the region and beyond, on the shared basis of cooperation, understanding, trust and responsibility, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has said. Minh made the suggestion while delivering his remarks at the 27th … [Read more...] about ☀ Morning digest on May 27

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has paid courtesy call to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during the trip to Japan to attend the International Conference on the Future of Asia. — VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — During the visit to Japan, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has paid courtesy calls to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and several other Japanese high-ranking officials on May 26-27. During the meetings, Deputy PM Minh said Việt Nam always considers Japan as an extensive, reliable, and important strategic partner, hoping that the two sides would continue to implement important agreements and common understandings obtained during the official visits of PM Phạm Minh Chính and PM Kishida Fumio, contributing to the promotion of bilateral relations. The Deputy PM emphasised that as the two sides are reopening with the COVID-19 situation under control, Việt Nam and Japan must continue to exchange high-level delegations, especially through … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Deputy PM calls for investment from Japan in meeting with PM Kishida

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and then US President Donald Trump witness the signing to increase the order to 200 aircraft in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Vietjet Air) Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue has congratulated Vietjet Air and Boeing on their agreement on the restructuring and continuation of the contract to purchase 200 Boeing 737 aircraft, at the meeting with Boeing’s Senior Vice President Michael Arthur. The agreement was reached during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the US and United Nations for the ASEAN-US Special Summit held in Washington D.C. Vietjet’s contract with Boeing is one of the significant deals contributing to the countries’ bilateral trade balance and has been forged through three US Presidencies with important strides following diplomatic and economic development milestones between the two countries in the recent years. In 2016, Vietjet Air ordered 100 Boeing aircraft in the … [Read more...] about Vietjet, Boeing reach agreement on 200-aircraft contract

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam raked in an estimated 4.5 billion USD from exporting aquatic export s in the first five months of 2022, up over 44.5 percent over the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Despite various challenges and difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and global changes in the last two years, Vietnamese seafood enterprises have seized opportunities to expand exports, and won orders with much higher prices than those in 2021. The positive results were attributed to the recovering and booming demand in many markets, the shortage of supply, and the increasing inflation in many countries. Vietnamese seafood processors and exporters have fully tapped advantages from the high inflation of the US market, China’s zero-COVID policy, and the strongly recovering demand in the European market to increase their exports to foreign markets. Notably, exports of shrimp, … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s seafood exports enjoy strong surge despite challenges

Garment production for export at Kim Dung Textile and Garment Company in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: SGGP) Dependence on imported raw materials Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said that the total number of enterprises participating in the textile and garment sector in Vietnam, including foreign and domestic enterprises, is more than 7,000. Of which, only 18 percent of them produce fabric materials, 12 percent produce yarn, 2 percent produce other materials, and the rest are garment enterprises. This fact has put the textile industry in front of the challenge of unstable growth due to its dependence on imported raw materials. Currently, each year, Vietnam imports 100 percent of cotton with an estimated value of US$3.2 billion and 60 percent of fabric with an estimated value of $14 billion. The US is the largest cotton and fabric import market of Vietnam, followed by China, Japan, South Korea, and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese textile-garment industry strong but not stable