Low rise to high rise

Vincom shopping mall in Ha Noi. Vingroup (VIC) was the biggest contibutor to the VN-Index yesterday with a growth of 2.1 per cent. — VNS Photo Mai Huong Shares eked out a gain in HCM City but lost ground in the last trading minutes in Ha Noi amid rising investor caution at the high price range. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, the VN-Index inched up 0.05 per cent to close yesterday at 1,275.28 points – its third rally session this week and fourth since last Friday. The market breadth was negative, however, with 191 stocks rising, 252 falling and 118 closing flat. Realty stocks backed the market as half the top 10 shares lifting the VN-Index were real estate firms. Vingroup (VIC) was the biggest contributor with a growth of 2.1 per cent, followed by No Va Land Investment Group (NVL), Phat Dat Real Estate Development (PDR) and Investment and Industrial Development Corp (BCM) with gains of between 1.7 per cent and 7 per cent. Beverage companies also performed well with the … [Read more...] about Shares eke out gains in HCM but investors watch out at high price range

The approval of Vietnam’s circular economy development plan, announced in June, aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent of GDP by 2030 (as compared to 2014). The commitment at COP26 by Vietnam to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is considered the main call for investment into green technologies and friendly-environmental projects, as well as approval of plans such as the aforementioned circular economy one. These messages have sent a strong signal regarding the country’s direction towards low-carbon, green development, and a circular economy, and could be a new driving force for Vietnam’s sustainable socioeconomic development, helping to improve its competitiveness and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. While governments have committed to lowering CO2, companies are also following suit for the good of the planet, Photo: Shutterstock As a result, numerous groups have made decisions in terms of investment and other operations … [Read more...] about Green standards top policies for fresh foreign ventures

Inflation in Singapore expected to peak in Q4. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Singapore (VNA) - Inflation in Singapore is expected to peak in the next two to four months and will start to ease thereafter, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has said. In an interview granted to Bloomberg, Wong said inflation rates here may very well settle at a higher rate given the geopolitical environment, supply chain issues and how economies are transitioning towards becoming more sustainable. He added that the extent of this easing towards the year end and where the new inflation rates will stabilise at are big uncertainties. Wong noted that they are not likely to return to the rates Singapore had been used to over the last decade or so, as zero to 1% inflation was a historical anomaly and never used to be so low. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has already tightened monetary policy four times in the last nine months to dampen inflation, Wong said, adding … [Read more...] about Inflation in Singapore expected to peak in Q4: official

Piles of VND100.000 bank notes. — EastAsia forum/VNA Photo Banks must tighten their assessment controls of corporate bond investments to avoid excessive risk and the misuse of funds raised by firms, experts said. In early April, the Banking Supervision Agency, under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) conducted an inspection of corporate bond investment activities at seven banks, while the Ministry of Finance inspected one bank. According to the SBV, by the end of 2021, there are 41 credit institutions holding VND274 trillion (US$11.7 billion) of corporate bonds, of which more than 75 per cent of them are held by ten major banks - Techcombank, MBBank, VPBank, TPBank, BIDV, Vietcombank, VietinBank, HDBank, ABBank and SeABank. At some banks, the value of corporate bonds exceeds 10 per cent of total assets. Although the inspection results were not published, a SBV senior leader said in an interview with Vietnam Investment Review that a number of credit institutions failed to … [Read more...] about Banks should tighten assessment controls of their corporate bonds investments – experts

HD SAISON has unveiled a preferential loan package of VND10 trillion (US$429.78 million) for workers at industrial parks across the country with the stated goal of protecting them from loan sharks. — Photo courtesy of the company HD SAISON, a subsidiary of HDBank, has earmarked a loan package of VND10 trillion (US$429.78 million) at half the market interest rate for workers at industrial parks across the country. Through this, it hopes to help the government stabilise the economy and ensure social security, and protect workers from loan sharks. Workers expressed happiness on hearing about the package. HD SAISON will lend from this package until the end of 2023 at an interest rate of 20 per cent a year compared to the normal rate of 40-50 per cent. Borrowers can roll over their loans for several years. For the sake of workers An HD SAISON spokesperson said the company was honoured to be chosen by the Government and the State Bank of Vietnam as one of two consumer finance … [Read more...] about Why do workers opt for HD SAISON’s loan package?

A medical worker prepares medicine for COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases' Intensive Care Unit (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health has ordered health departments to strengthen the management and reporting of new COVID-19 cases. The move came after a series of fast-spreading sub-variants of Omicron (BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.75 and BA.2.12.1) were reported in the country. According to the ministry’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, the number of COVID-19 cases has been on the rise in both Vietnam and around the world. The country is currently recording an average of about 2,000 new cases each day. The number of new cases is believed to be on the rise again. Therefore, in order to actively prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the department told leaders of health departments nationwide to regularly and promptly review and report new cases of COVID-19. The localities must comply with regulations on reporting new cases … [Read more...] about Health Ministry orders strengthening reporting of new COVID-19 cases