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NEW YORK/LONDON -- Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity shrank to its lowest level in more than a decade in the first quarter of 2023, as rising interest rates, high inflation and fears of a recession soured the appetite of companies for dealmaking. M&A volumes during the first quarter slumped 48% to $575.1 billion as of March 30, compared to $1.1 trillion during the same period last year, according to data from Dealogic. A banking crisis that started in the United States this month with Silicon Valley Bank and spread to Europe with the Swiss government-orchestrated sale of Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) to UBS Group AG (UBSG.S) roiled markets and stopped many deals in their tracks, investment bankers and lawyers said. "The first quarter had extraordinary levels of volatility and uncertainty - more than expected going into the year. And that has the impact of postponing some announcements," said Anu Aiyengar, global head of M&A at JPMorgan Chase & … [Read more...] about Global dealmaking sinks to lowest level in over a decade

Hanoi plans to create five to ten industrial clusters this year. Hanoi's authorities broke ground for the construction of the Phu Yen craft village industrial cluster in Phu Xuyen District on March 30. The groundbreaking ceremony of the Phu Yen craft village industrial cluster project. Photo: Hanoimoi Newspaper The Phu Yen artisan village industrial cluster in Gie Ha Village, Phu Yen Commune, covers 10.5ha and was funded by Chi Cuong Construction Investment Consultant Joint Stock Company for VND200.3 billion (US$8.5 million). Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Secretary of the Phu Xuyen District Party Committee, stated that the industrial cluster's establishment aims to relocate local production facilities in the fields of leather and footwear, garment, lacquer, services for industrial clusters, and other industries away from residential areas, thereby reducing the environmental pollution. According to Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice … [Read more...] about Hanoi begins work on Phu Yen craft village industrial cluster

Vietnam plans to expand its crude oil and petroleum product reserves to 75-80 days of net imports by 2030 and 90 days by 2050. The national petroleum and gas supply reserve infrastructure is predicted to cost VND270 trillion (US$11.4 billion) by 2030. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting. Source: VGP Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien commented on March 30 during a meeting of the Appraisal Council for the draft National Petroleum and Gas Reserve Infrastructure Plan. The minister stated that the country's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage infrastructure is limited, with only ten 10,000 m3 or larger warehouses. Furthermore, no operational liquefied natural gas (LNG) warehouses are nationwide. "The development of new gas pipelines connecting warehouses to consumers has also encountered challenges due to a lack of designated corridors within industrial parks for gas pipelines," Dien explained. In the case of petroleum, there … [Read more...] about $11 billion required for Vietnam’s oil and gas infrastructure development

An HDBank transaction office in HCM City. HDBank hopes to maintain its high growth momentum in the coming years. — Photo courtesy of HDBank The Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank has announced its 2022 results audited by PwC, which shows profit before tax of nearly VND10.27 trillion (US$437.18 million), its highest ever and up 27.2 per cent from the previous year and 105 per cent of the target approved by shareholders. The non-performing loans (NPL) ratio was low, while operational safety indicators were among the best in the industry. The operating income for the year topped VND22 trillion ($936.39 million), up 31.1 per cent. Its credit, services, card, and digital banking businesses all saw high growth. The total number of credit cards it issued quadrupled while their transaction value nearly tripled, and the number of e-banking transactions doubled with their value growing by six times to VND761 trillion ($$32.39 million). The return on equity and … [Read more...] about HDBank outstanding loans to property sector, corporate bond holdings among industry lowest

The plan's implementation seeks to capitalize on Hanoi's import-export advantages and promote the city's socioeconomic development toward green growth and rapid and sustainable progress. Hanoi aims to sustain an annual export growth rate of 4.4-5% between 2023 and 2025 and 5.1-5.5% between 2023 and 2030. Electronics production at Channel Well Technology Vietnam at Quang Minh Industrial Park, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times The goals were included in the action plan to achieve Hanoi's import-export strategy until 2030, which was signed off on March 30 by Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen. The implementation of this plan seeks to leverage Hanoi's import-export advantages and support its socioeconomic development toward green growth, rapid and sustainable progress, and a stable growth rate in import-export activities. The emphasis is on the direct export promotion of key and advantageous city goods and attracting … [Read more...] about Hanoi targets annual export growth of 5.5% until 2030

Tran Tuan Anh, who is also head of the Steering Committee for the building of a project on reviewing the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution on the strategic orientations for the development of the Vietnamese petroleum industry by 2025, with a vision to 2035, asked delegates to discuss Petrolimex’s production and trade situation since the issuance of the Resolution, focusing on shortcomings, difficulties, their causes and suggestions regarding policies, mechanisms, legal regulations, particularly petrol price and market management, investment procedures, business development, national petroleum reserve as well as the construction, management, and operation of warehouse-port system. He asked for clarifying the restructuring of Petrolimex in line with divestment and equitization roadmap, and major orientations to international cooperation with strategic partners associated with the production, processing and distribution of new and clean energy products. Chairman of … [Read more...] about New strategic orientations for Petrolimex suggested