REUTERS – Global equity markets rose and the dollar strengthened against the yen on Monday on expectations the Federal Reserve will reinforce its commitment this week to supporting the U.S. economic recovery. Stocks on Wall Street and major European indices gained 1 percent or more as investors await the end of a two-day meeting of the U.S. central bank on Wednesday, when investors hope to get... 

Up to 41% of foreign investors joining a survey conducted by the audit and financial consulting company Grant Thornton Vietnam in the second quarter replied that Vietnam is an attractive investment destination, a strong rise compared to late 2012. Obviously, investors now are more confident in their business in Vietnam compared to 27% sharing the view reflected in the survey in the last quarter last... 

Steelmakers have voiced their concerns about the possibility of the power price for them being hiked higher than the common tariff this year, and blasted authorities for the inconsistent policies towards them. Tran Tuan Duong, general director of Hoa Phat Group, a strong steelmaker known for various quality steel products, told the Daily that slapping a higher power tariff on steel makers than other... 

Unbaked construction materials producers will enjoy more favorable conditions in production and business thanks to market trends and local policies backing the environmentally-friendly materials, said an industry source. Using green materials is not only suitable with the global trend but also helps save natural resources and protect the environment, said Tran Van Huynh, chairman of the Vietnam Construction... 

Although many housing projects have recently offered their products for sale to cash in on the VND30-triliion home loan that has just started rolling and prices have declined, the apartment market in Hanoi is still quiet. Meanwhile, the segment of houses and land lots in the outskirts seems to heat up with a slight rise in transactions. Apartments ignored Right after the home loan package became effective,... 

Signs of violation of the Competition Law have emerged in the pharmaceutical market of Vietnam, said Nguyen Phuong Nam, deputy director general of the Vietnam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Speaking at a workshop on competition in the pharmaceutical sector held in Hanoi last Wednesday, Nam said signs of violating the Competition Law could be found in the link between... 

The cruise ship Costa Atlantica of the cruise line Costa Crociere S.p.A last Friday made its first port call in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with some 2,200 tourists and crewmembers on board. After arriving at SP-PSA Port, tourists took hydrofoils to HCMC to visit tourist sites in the city and Tien Giang Province’s My Tho City. The cruise ship then left for Chan May Port in Thua Thien-Hue Province,... 

As the VN-Index tumbled below 510 points last Friday after five consecutive falling sessions, stock brokers again forecast a gloomy outlook for this week, saying that the downward spiral will continue in the first two or three sessions with falling liquidity. Last week, the VN-Index lost 3.6%, closing at 509.03. Trade on the southern bourse declined 0.5% in volume but improved 6% in value. Foreign... 

The State Bank of Vietnam said it intervened “with reasonable volume” in the foreign-exchange market to slow a slide in the dong fueled by increasing dollar demand from importers. For the rest of 2013, the monetary authority will closely watch currency movements as well as banks’ foreign-exchange levels in order to get into the market in a timely manner and “flexibly manage money supply channels... 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts cell phone and component exports may exceed US$20 billion this year, setting a new record for export turnover of an industry. Cell phones and components have just been in the list of Vietnam’s export items in recent years, but this commodity group has now generated the largest turnover. The export turnover of cell phones and components has been relatively...