REUTERS – U.S. stocks closed out 2012 with their strongest day in more than a month, putting the S&P 500 up 13.4 percent for the year, as lawmakers in Washington closed in on a resolution to the “fiscal cliff” negotiations. The S&P 500′s gain for the year marks its best performance since 2009, as stocks navigated through debt crises in Europe and the United States... 

Although profit takers showed up and liquidity slumped, securities enterprises expected investors to come back with optimism after the New Year holiday as both stock indices finished in the winning territory last Friday, marking the fifth consecutive rising session. The transaction value last week retreated 30% if large put-through deals on both Friday and the day before were taken out. On Friday,... 

The market is currently biased towards the mid-end apartment segment, and thus project owners are competing fiercely in a bid to attract budget-conscious homebuyers. Rush to launch condos Nam Long Investment Corp. is known for its Ehome condo projects targeting middle-income earners. The recently-launched Ehome 3 Saigon West project in HCMC’s Binh Tan District is in its first phase with 333 apartments... 

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) last Friday granted business licenses to 17 credit institutions and 14 companies for gold bar trading at home. The credit institutions are ACB, VietinBank, BIDV, Agribank, DongABank, Maritime Bank, Techcombank, Nam A Bank, HDBank, OCB, Southern Bank, Sacombank, SCB, TienPhongBank, VietA Bank, VPBank and Eximbank. As such, these entities are allowed to buy and sell gold... 

Westernbank has got the Prime Minister’s approval to merge with PetroVietnam Finance JSC (PVFC), a source from Westernbank said. Both sides now are performing necessary procedures to finalize the merger and will publicize the information in the next quarter, said an executive who asked not to be named. All information relating to converting shares and the road map for the merger are yet to be announced... 

* Satra opens food store for workers C.T Group last week put into operation its first S.Mart supermarket, setting up the landmark in its plan to expand business into the retail industry with a goal to set up 20 such shops between now and 2015. The supermarket having an area of 3,000 square meters at 140 Tran Binh Trong Street in HCMC’s District 5 is worth VND40 billion and sells around 20,000 items... 

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has suggested to reducing the car ownership registration tax and delay the plan to collect the kind of fee aimed in restricting private vehicles in circulation. The news has raised the hope that the car market would warm up early the next year. Suggestions believed to help warm up market The suggestions have made to the government as a part of the plan to help enterprises... 

Fruit varieties grown in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are already fetching higher prices, nearly two months ahead of the Tet (lunar new year) holiday, when prices typically undergo a seasonal spike. Wholesale traders have flocked to orchards to buy up ripening crops of Lai Vung mandarin and Cat Chu mango in Dong Thap Province, green-peeled grapefruit in Beon Tre Province, and Hoa Loc mango in Tien...