Business News

The stage at The Grand Ballroom is set to catch fire as Vietnam’s undisputed "Queen of Dance," Thu Minh, takes the spotlight. Renowned for her powerhouse vocals, magnetic stage presence, and sultry, high-energy performances, Thu Minh promises an evening of pure musical euphoria. The energy escalates with an exclusive appearance by special guest and The Voice champion, Vu Thao My. 

The return on average assets (ROAA) of the banking sector will likely remain stable at around 1.5 per cent in the second half of 2026, but profitability divergence among banks will increase, with large banks outperforming peers on stronger margins and diversified earnings, analysts forecast. In a recent report on the banking sector, analysts from the Vietnam Investors Service Rating said the sector’s ROAA rose by 10 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 1.51 per cent in the first half of this year, driven by net interest margin (NIM) improvements at some State-owned banks and large private banks.

Lâm Đồng Province aims to raise the digital economy’s contribution to around 30 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) by 2030, as part of a five-year plan to develop digital economy and society issued recently. Under Plan No. 15358/KH-UBND, the province targets more than 60 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt digital technologies by 2030 while increasing the value of cashless payments to 30 times its GRDP.

An Giang Province plans to expand e-commerce in its border and mountainous areas over the 2027–30 period, using online sales to open up new markets for its products and strengthen trade with Cambodia. The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province shares a long land border with Cambodia and has four international border gates. 

Hà Nội's goods imports rose 41 per cent from a year earlier to an estimated US$42.66 billion in the first eight months of 2026, the city's Statistics Office said. Imports of machinery, equipment and spare parts increased 45 per cent to $8.78 billion in the period, reflecting stronger production activity, investment and demand for production inputs among businesses.

Hà Nội has introduced a series of new mechanisms and policies aimed at attracting strategic investors, particularly those with advanced technologies, strong intellectual resources and substantial financial capacity. The measures are intended to create a more favourable investment environment while channelling capital into sectors aligned with the capital’s long-term development priorities.

Việt Nam's exports of footwear and handbags to the US exceeded US$8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, as the US and EU remained the country's biggest markets despite sluggish growth in footwear shipments. Exports from Việt Nam's leather and footwear sector reached more than $2.45 billion in August, down 9 per cent from July but up 3 per cent from a year earlier, according to preliminary statistics.

Việt Nam's rural areas are emerging as a major growth opportunity for the retail sector, with more than 60 million people, or about 65 per cent of the population, still relying largely on traditional markets and small grocery shops. Citing data from the Statistics Department under the Ministry of Finance, economists estimate that total retail sales of goods and consumer services could reach US$305 billion in 2026.