Second quarter stock market performance

“After seeing generally mixed performances by a trio of newly public companies this month, VNG was advised to hold off until market demand improves,” an inside source disclosed to Bloomberg . While VNG remained reticent on the matter, the strategic pause mirrors a broader caution in the tech IPO space. Notably, both Arm Holdings Plc, the SoftBank Corporation affiliate, and delivery service Instacart experienced their stocks trading beneath their IPO valuations. VNG, which debuted as Vinagame in 2004, has transitioned from its initial gaming focus to become a diversified digital powerhouse in Vietnam, offering an array of services from video streaming and news portals to mobile payments. The company has contemplated a US listing since 2017. Before this revision in plans, the gaming and communications conglomerate had intimated an intention to offload approximately 22 million shares in its proposed IPO, though pricing details remained under wraps. In 2021, VNG was contemplating … [Read more...] about VNG delays US IPO amid subdued market appetite

According to the latest report of UOB, after starting off the year at a sluggish pace, with real GDP growth in Q1 decelerating to 3.28 per cent on-year, from 5.92 per cent in the previous quarter, growth momentum in Vietnam remained lethargic, largely due to weak external demand coupled with an underperforming manufacturing sector. As a result, economic growth in Q2 expanded just 4.14 per cent on-year, for a cumulative growth rate of 3.72 per cent on-year in H1, well below the official growth target of 6.5 per cent. In terms of sectoral performance, manufacturing (including construction), which accounts for about 34 per cent share of the economy, managed to gain about 1.1 per cent on-year in Q2 with a positive contribution in H1. Meanwhile, the services sector (43 per cent share) managed to cushion some of the weaknesses from the external sector, rising 6.1 per cent on-year in Q2 following the 6.6 per cent on-year run in Q1. The services sector contributed 2.7 percentage points, … [Read more...] about Soft momentum likely for Q3: UOB

SKC Co. Ltd. (SKC), a subsidiary of the SK Group , has received an investment certificate to develop a high-tech biodegradable materials factory in the northern port city of Hai Phong. With the total investment capital of $500 million, the factory specialises in producing biodegradable materials such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate and polybutylene succinate. The project spreads across an area of 32,089 square metres in the Haiphong I DEEP C Industrial Zone in the Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone. In the first phase, the project will start construction in mid-December 2023, slated to be completed within nine months. The project is expected to reach an output of 35,000 tonnes by year-end. In the second phase, the company will increase the total output to 70,000 tonnes per year. Woncheo Park, CEO of SKC under SK Group said, "SK Group has invested about $3 billion in Vietnam over the past five years. Currently, Hai Phong is one of the countries with the most modern … [Read more...] about South Korea’s SK Group continues to deepen investment in Vietnam