Spitalfields flower market

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

Land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in urban areas. VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — Experts have warned that the high rate of inflation will cause the domestic housing market to continuously see prices increase, but liquidity decrease. According to real estate consultant Lê Quốc Kiên, the market from the middle of last year until now has seen low transactions as the land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in the urban areas and 30 per cent in the suburban areas. Meanwhile, the price has surged by 50 per cent in the neighbouring provinces. Therefore, he predicts that investors who do not face the pressure of bank debt will not sell real estate in the next 6-12 months because they will have to look for other assets. They do not want to keep cash in a period of high inflation. Meanwhile, investors who suffer pressure from banking loans will be forced to sell property when inflation is high. According to the General Statistics Office, core … [Read more...] about Housing market sees price increase, liquidity decrease

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

AFD will assist the Hanoi government in developing priority programs such as improving air quality, wholesale markets, urban logistics, waste management and treatment, among others. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is willing to support Hanoi in transport, urban and environmental projects, Country Director of AFD Fabrice Richy said at a meeting with Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung in Hanoi on November 25. Fabrice Richy stressed that AFD has maintained a long standing relationship with Hanoi. Under the cooperation agreement, AFD will assist the Hanoi government in developing priority programs such as air quality improvement, wholesale markets, urban logistics, waste management and treatment, among others. Country Director of AFD Fabrice Richy and Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung. Photo: Thuy Linh The investment program will focus on building smart cities, developing cities sustainable and … [Read more...] about AFD willing to support Hanoi in transport, urban and environment projects

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

People and tourists choose to buy tours at the Hong Ngoc Ha travel booth during Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2022 Specifically, national carriers Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) have prepared to supply more than 7.1 million seats during the peak summer season from June 1 to August 15, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period before the Covid-19 epidemic. On average, during the peak summer season, these airlines will operate 430 domestic flights, especially those to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. With international routes, Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines provide over 852,000 seats, equivalent to more than 3,600 flights, only 40 percent of the number in 2019 because international travel demand has not recovered as before. Vietravel Airlines also said that the demand for travel and tourism will increase, so it has planned to increase the number of aircraft and frequency of flights to the Central … [Read more...] about Millions of travelers book tours for summer vacation