A specialised agency of the Ministry of Construction is coordinating with localities to finalise draft Resolution No. 38/2026/QH16 dated August 24 of the National Assembly, on the building of the ring road. The draft is expected to be completed in late September and submitted to the competent authority in October.

Once the resolution is passed, the managing agency will work with the Ministry of Finance to allocate investment funds and select a consulting unit to develop the project. The preparation process is expected to take approximately 4–6 months.

If the work is carried out in parallel, the project aims to commence in the third quarter, or even earlier if preparatory conditions are completed ahead of schedule.

For 2026-2030, the central government budget is expected to allocate approximately $2.3 billion to develop around 116 km of the main expressway through Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, Haiphong and Bac Ninh, which is the eastern section.

The government will allocate approximately $2.4 billion from the central government budget during 2026-2030 to invest in this section. The component projects using central government funding allocated during this period are expected to be completed by 2030 and put into operation from 2031.

The eastern section was selected for investment first because it is located in an area with high transportation demand, plays a driving role in economic development, and has the potential to connect with the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh and Hanoi - Bac Giang expressways.

Upon completion, the route is expected to create an additional inter-regional transportation corridor, support traffic diversion from afar, and reduce pressure on traffic routes heading towards the central Hanoi area.

The remaining section will be studied, and appropriate resources will be mobilised for phased implementation. The entire route is targeted for completion before 2035.

The project will require approximately 4,011 hectares of land, including 1,776 ha of rice-growing land. Of this, 1,590 ha is land dedicated to growing two or more rice crops annually. The project will also require approximately 210 ha of forestry land and 2,025 ha of other land.

To maintain the 2027 commencement timeline, land clearance must be prepared in parallel with the investment procedures. According to the plan, approximately 50-70 per cent of the land needs to be cleared by the time of commencement. The remaining clearance is expected to be completed before the second quarter of 2028.

Four mega highway projects to kick off The construction of inter-regional highway projects and Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road No.3 will start in mid-June, according to the prime minister's plan.

Key road opens investing avenues The megaproject of Ring Road 3, which started construction this month, can help more clearly shape the face of a multipolar Ho Chi Minh City urban area and create new development impetus for the real estate market.

An Khai Hung launches IKI Village residential project in Ho Chi Minh City An Khai Hung Investment has broken ground on a residential project in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring private green gardens and direct access to Ring Road 3.

Hanoi plans congestion charges within Ring Road 1 from 2028 Hanoi is planning to introduce congestion charges for road vehicles entering the city centre within Ring Road 1 from January 1, 2028, with the scheme set to expand to Ring Road 2 in 2030 and Ring Road 3 in 2032.

National Assembly passes Ring Road 5 project The National Assembly, on August 24, passed a resolution approving the investment policy for the Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 5 project.

Hanoi to break ground and inaugurate 16 infrastructure projects ahead of National Day Hanoi People’s Committee sets a plan to break ground and inaugurate 16 works and projects, including 11 projects open to traffic and five to start on September 2.

Photo: Hoang Oanh

This year’s festival was part of activities in Vietnam commemorating the 250^th anniversary of American independence. The theme celebrates the rich agricultural heritage of the United States, showcasing produce from its farms, ranches, orchards, and coastal waters, while highlighting the journey of high-quality American products from producers across the country to Vietnamese consumers.

Since its launch in 2022, the Great American BBQ Festival has become an annual culinary event in Hanoi, offering diners an opportunity to experience the quality, versatility, freshness, and flavour of American agricultural products through specially curated dining experiences. This year, Sheraton Hanoi Hotel served as the festival venue.

“Through the Great American BBQ Festival, we are delighted to introduce Vietnamese consumers to the exceptional quality and diversity of US agricultural products while celebrating the strong agricultural partnership between the US and Vietnam,” Mark Petry, USDA Agricultural Minister Counselor said.

Guests enjoyed a special Great American BBQ Dinner at Oven D’or Restaurant, featuring a diverse selection of dishes prepared with more than 20 high-quality US ingredients provided by USDA Cooperators.

The buffet featured American beef, pork, poultry, lobster and squid from the Northeast, Washington apples, blueberries, California cream cheese, Wisconsin cheeses, US potatoes, California walnuts and prunes, soy-based products, and other American ingredients that are increasingly popular among Vietnamese consumers and food-service professionals.

Until October 1, guests can also enjoy an exclusive five-course set menu at Hemispheres Steak & Seafood Grill, one of Hanoi’s acclaimed dining destinations. Recognised as a Michelin Selected restaurant for four consecutive years from 2023 to 2026, Hemispheres has designed a special menu featuring premium US ingredients to celebrate the Great American BBQ Festival 2026.

During the two-week festival, the specially curated five-course menu will be offered in place of the restaurant’s regular Michelin set menu, giving diners a culinary experience highlighting the diversity and quality of American agricultural products.

“As we commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the United States, this festival showcases America’s rich food culture as well as the continued growth of agricultural trade and cooperation between our two countries,” Petry added.

America’s Finest Five-course set menu served at Hemispheres Steak & Seafood Grill. Photo: Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

US-Vietnam agricultural trade continues to grow, reflecting demand for safe, high-quality, and innovative food products. Through partnerships with US agricultural organisations, importers, retailers, hotels, and restaurants, USDA remains committed to expanding market opportunities and increasing awareness of American agricultural products throughout Vietnam.

“This festival presents a wonderful opportunity for our culinary team to showcase the outstanding quality of US ingredients through thoughtfully crafted menus at both Oven D’or and Hemispheres,” Tiffany Hwang, general manager of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, said.

“We are especially proud that Hemispheres, recognised by the Michelin Guide for four consecutive years, will dedicate its signature dining experience during the festival to a specially curated menu celebrating the diversity and excellence of American agriculture,” she added.

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North America offers significant opportunities for Vietnamese products

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Seminar connects Vietnamese, US agricultural businesses

Vietnam boosts US agricultural ties with trade mission

Vietnamese firms sign 20 MoUs worth $3 billion to buy US agri-goods

The event came just days before Vietnam is set to enter its emerging market chapter with its first trading session in the new status on September 21.

The gathering marked not only a celebration of a long-awaited milestone, but also a powerful symbol of Vietnam’s growing place on the global capital markets map, as the country prepares to open a new chapter of deeper integration with international capital.

For Bob McCooey, vice chairman of Nasdaq, Vietnam has already established itself as one of the region’s most active markets by trading volume. He noted that Vietnam had surpassed Singapore and Thailand in trading volumes, while more recent growth had strengthened the market.

“Vietnam was the largest market by volume in ASEAN,” said McCooey. “Yet the competition for capital extends well beyond ASEAN. Korea, Taiwan (China) and Japan are attracting substantial investor attention on the back of semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related demand, creating a highly competitive environment for markets across Asia.”

"Vietnam will therefore need compelling growth stories to sustain investor interest and translate them into greater trading activity, according to Nasdaq’s representatives."

Bob McCooey, vice chairman of Nasdaq (left) and Pankaj Mataney, Asia Head of Platform Sales and Index Strategy at Morgan Stanley (right). Photo: SSI Securities

Peter Stein, CEO of the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association and Global Financial Markets Association, pointed to the broader competition now taking place across global and regional capital markets.

“Competition for capital is intense. Several markets are attracting significant attention because of their roles in the global AI supply chain, while investors are also looking to diversify their exposure across different markets,” Stein said.

“Vietnam has effectively moved beyond the broader ASEAN group and into this more competitive tier. Although it is not currently benefiting from the broader AI-driven investment story to the same extent as some other markets, it has a strong longer-term growth proposition. That creates a different challenge for Vietnam: converting its improving market fundamentals into an environment where international investors can deploy capital efficiently and at sufficient scale."

Stein said Vietnam already had the necessary market-infrastructure fundamentals and that these were continuing to improve. The priority, he argued, should be to consolidate the progress already made rather than move too quickly to introduce measures that have not been sufficiently considered.

As Vietnam moves into this more competitive tier, the composition and destination of incoming foreign capital will become increasingly important.

Pankaj Mataney, Asia Head of Platform Sales and Index Strategy at Morgan Stanley, expects the FTSE upgrade to broaden the investor base, with index-oriented capital likely to provide an initial impetus.

“Some of the more fundamental, dedicated foreign investors are likely to enter the market,” said Mataney. “The FTSE upgrade will broaden the investor base, with passive investors naturally at the forefront.”

He also expected hedge funds and liquidity providers to become more active as the upgrade takes effect, meaning the impact could extend beyond passive funds tracking the relevant indices.

“Initially, however, flows are likely to be more closely linked to index inclusion. For listed companies, securing inclusion in relevant indices will therefore be important, while foreign ownership limits will also influence their ability to absorb overseas capital,” he said.

He also noted that the initial concentration of capital would likely be determined more by individual companies and their characteristics than by sectors.

“The composition of the investor base could then broaden further as hedge funds and systematic strategies enter the market,” said Mataney. “But index eligibility alone will not determine where capital ultimately goes. Company fundamentals, government policies and broader market conditions as additional factors that will shape investor decisions."

Photo: SSI Securities

Phil Chevalier, co-head of Virtu Execution Services APAC at Virtu Financial, offered a perspective from the market-making and execution side.

The firm subsequently executed its first trade using a global broker model, making the Vietnamese market more accessible to its clients. The necessary infrastructure was established within days, with Virtu initially focusing on the agency institutional side.

“We wanted to be among the first to do so,” Chevalier said. “The firm is now looking at further opportunities, including transaction cost analysis and broader market access. SSI has also played an important role in making the process easier for Virtu.”

Chevalier identified liquidity as the fundamental issue that will determine how far the market can develop.

“Market makers will not establish operations in markets where there is insufficient liquidity. At the same time, liquidity will not develop without market makers and other service providers,” he said. “That creates a circular dynamic: greater liquidity attracts market makers and other participants, while greater participation is itself needed to deepen liquidity.”

The introduction of a CCP, according to Chevalier, could help break that cycle by making different components of the trade lifecycle more efficient and accessible, thereby allowing more market participants to participate.

“For Vietnam, the FTSE upgrade is therefore not simply about attracting a new category of investors. It is about turning greater international recognition into sustained participation, deeper liquidity and a market infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated global investors,” said Chevalier. “The next phase of Vietnam’s capital-market development will be shaped not only by how much foreign capital enters, but also by how effectively the market can absorb, trade and retain that capital."

FTSE upgrade puts Vietnam on global investors’ radar, now investability must follow FTSE Russell has added 27 Vietnamese stocks to the FTSE Global All Cap Index as part of its September semi-annual review. In an interview with VIR’s Hazy Tran, Thomas Nguyen, Chief Global Markets Officer at SSI Securities said that FTSE Russell’s inclusion could bring billions in passive inflows, but the bigger opportunity lies in Vietnam’s institutional transformation.

ETF rebalancing set to drive stock flows ahead of FTSE GEIS changes Vietnam’s stock market is bracing for a concentrated wave of ETF trading as foreign funds rebalance portfolios ahead of the FTSE Global Equity Index Series changes taking effect next week.

At the forum, “Global Supply Chain Shifts and Opportunities for Vietnamese Businesses,” held in Hanoi on September 18, Nguyen Anh Duong from the Institute for Policy and Strategy said that Vietnam continued to achieve positive results in attracting FDI, with China gradually emerging as one of the country's leading sources of investment.

In 2025, Singapore ranked first in FDI into Vietnam, with $6.98 billion, followed by China with $5.19 billion and South Korea with $4.2 billion. In the first eight months of 2026, the country's major investment partners continued to include Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, and Japan.

"These figures reflect Vietnam's attractiveness amid capital flows and supply chain restructuring," Duong said. "However, behind the results in attracting FDI lies the question of how external capital can be connected with domestic production capacity: To what extent can Vietnamese businesses participate, and which stages of the supply chain can they undertake?"

He said FDI, particularly from East Asia and the Pacific, had helped Vietnam boost growth and exports, strengthen economic linkages, and make more effective use of free trade agreements.

The continued presence of major regional economies among Vietnam's leading investment partners also created opportunities for the country to participate more deeply in international production and trade networks.

According to Duong, one of the challenges facing Vietnam is the limited linkage between foreign-invested and domestic companies.

"This linkage gap directly affects the ability of Vietnamese businesses to become suppliers to the FDI sector, raise localisation rates, and participate in higher value-added stages," he said. "The effectiveness of investment attraction should be assessed not only through the scale of capital flows, but also through their spillover effects and their ability to create domestic production linkages."

Alongside domestic constraints, the international trade environment is creating new requirements. Duong noted that Vietnam was facing challenges arising from US import tariff policies since 2025, as well as technical criteria related to inputs "from a third economy."

"These requirements are making the origin of goods and sources of inputs increasingly important. Businesses participating in supply chains need to exercise greater control over raw materials, production processes, and related technical conditions if they want to maintain market access," Duong said.

Vietnam must also consider the risk of a "race to the bottom" within ASEAN. As countries compete to attract relocating investment, competition based primarily on incentives may fail to create the foundations needed to strengthen domestic production capacity.

Duong recommended shifting from an approach focused on the quantity of FDI attracted towards more selective investment screening, with priority given to high-tech and innovation-driven projects that establish linkages with domestic businesses.

Alongside project selection, Vietnam needs to develop supporting industries and improve logistics, digital infrastructure, and energy capacity, while strengthening risk management relating to rules of origin and trade defence. These are essential conditions for building a resilient production ecosystem, diversifying markets, and strengthening the economy's autonomy.

If the selection of investment flows determines the quality of the inputs into the investment attraction process, the capacity of domestic businesses determines how effectively Vietnam can capitalise on opportunities created by supply chain shifts.

Le Thi Duyen Hai, vice chairwoman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Tax Consultants Association. Photo: Manh Tuan

On tax policy, Le Thi Duyen Hai, vice chairwoman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Tax Consultants Association, said the focus should shift from "attracting investment into Vietnam" towards "upgrading the capabilities of Vietnamese businesses so they can become high-value links in global supply chains".

"This shift requires tax policy to be viewed from a perspective broader than the goal of reducing costs in the short term. Tax policy should not only reduce tax liabilities, but, more importantly, create incentives for Vietnamese businesses to change their growth models," she said.

Hai outlined a chain of outcomes: “Technology, R&D, Human Resources, Supply Chains, and Global Markets”. Technology, R&D activities, and the quality of human resources provide the foundation for businesses to improve their production capabilities, allowing them to participate more deeply in supply chains and gain access to international markets.

"This approach also shows that support policies need to focus on businesses' long-term capacity upgrading," she said. "If efforts stop at attracting more projects while domestic businesses lack the capacity to become suppliers, linkages and the value retained in the economy will be difficult to improve."

Delegates said policy and the business environment play an important role in helping companies adapt to supply chain shifts. Alongside tax policies and support measures, Vietnam needs to develop supporting industries, improve competitiveness, and strengthen linkages between domestic businesses and the FDI sector.

The goal is to raise localisation rates and establish high value-added production linkages. Achieving this requires Vietnamese businesses to strengthen their capabilities, while policies need to create conditions for companies to access orders, expand markets, and participate more deeply in regional and global supply chains.

Supply chain shifts are creating opportunities to attract investment and expand markets, but they are also highlighting weaknesses in supporting industries, logistics, and production linkages. The challenge is no longer simply to bring more FDI into Vietnam, but to select investment flows that are better aligned with the country's development goals and create conditions for domestic businesses to gradually become high-value links in global supply chains.

Electronics FIEs asked to expand Vietnamese supplier networks Foreign-invested electronics companies are being urged to expand their Vietnamese supplier networks and help domestic businesses move deeper into global supply chains.

Nike boosts sourcing from Vietnam as manufacturing share rises Footwear giant Nike has increased its sourcing from factories in Vietnam, reinforcing the country's role as its largest global manufacturing base.

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The plan was announced by Wallaya Chirathivat, chairwoman of Central Group, on September 18 during Vietnam Week in Thailand 2026.

“Vietnam is one of the top-priority markets in our international strategy, with plans to invest an additional $1.5 billion over the next decade. It is also a particularly important market for us,” Wallaya said.

Central Group entered Vietnam through Central Retail in 2012 and has since built a portfolio of retail brands including GO!, Tops Market, Lan Chi Mart, and Supersports. The group currently operates more than 300 stores and shopping centres across 26 cities and provinces.

Central Group has invested around $1.5 billion in Vietnam to date. The planned additional investment would therefore bring its total investment in the country to around $3 billion over the coming years.

Wallaya attributed the group’s continued expansion to three main factors: Vietnam’s economic growth, its large and increasingly consumption-oriented population, and the potential to expand modern retail beyond the country’s major urban centres.

According to her, Vietnam’s economy is growing by 8-10 per cent annually, while its population has surpassed 100 million. Consumers are increasingly open to modern retail formats and willing to spend through organised retail channels.

The country’s geographical structure, stretching from north to south and anchored by major growth centres such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, also provides room for retail businesses to expand into a wider range of provinces and cities.

“We have agreements with Sun Group and other local businesses to study and develop projects,” Wallaya said.

Olivier Langlet, CEO of Central Retail Vietnam, said the new investment would focus mainly on retail and shopping centres, alongside hospitality. The company has identified around 200 potential locations in urban areas for further assessment.

“Our team is very busy looking for suitable locations and land plots to develop projects. It is a huge amount of work,” Langlet said.

In hospitality, the group operates the 984-room Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne in Lam Dong, which opened in 2020, and is developing two additional hotels in Van Don, Quang Ninh, which are expected to add around 1,000 rooms.

The expansion comes as Vietnam’s retail market continues to grow and attract international operators. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the domestic retail market was worth around $269 billion in 2025.

The ministry expects total retail sales of goods and consumer services to reach VND11.5-12.5 quadrillion, equivalent to around $450 billion, by 2030. Based on the ministry’s projected annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent, the market could reach around $326 billion by 2027.

International retailers have been accelerating their expansion as consumer spending and modern retail penetration increase.

Earlier this month, Japanese retailer AEON Vietnam said purchasing power in Vietnam was currently equivalent to around 80 per cent of Japan’s level and could reach 120-130 per cent in the coming years. The group is targeting a significant expansion of its business in Vietnam by 2030 and has identified the country as a key market in ASEAN.

Vietnam is also becoming increasingly important to Central Retail’s business. According to the group’s first-half financial results, its operations in Vietnam generated more than 24 billion baht (around $721 million), in revenue during the first six months of this year.

Vietnam accounted for around 20 per cent of Central Retail’s total revenue and remained its second-largest market after Thailand.

The planned investment also comes as Vietnam and Thailand mark the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

As of the end of August 2026, Thai investors had 824 projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of more than $15.47 billion, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance. Thailand is currently Vietnam’s second-largest source of investment from ASEAN and ninth-largest globally.

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The schedule was made by Vice Chairman of Nghe An People’s Committee Phung Thanh Vinh at a meeting with local departments and the consortium of investors on September 17.

Previously, on September 14, the consortium of investors, comprising PV Power, Nghe An Sugar Company, and SK Innovation, established Quynh Lap LNG Power JSC to implement the project.

This independent legal entity will directly manage the mega power project with a total designed capacity of up to 1,500 MW, and a total investment of over $2.2 billion.

According to Nghe An People’s Committee, the establishment of this legal entity provides a solid foundation for the enterprise to advance funds for land clearance. The committee requires the consortium to complete the signing of the land clearance contract with Tan Mai People’s Committee before September 25.

The Department of Finance is also urgently finalising the draft project contract to report to the provincial people's committee, striving to complete the official signing in late September.

Regarding funding for land clearance, the Department of Finance guided the investor on the procedures to advance funds to pay compensation to the local authorities, which will then be deducted from the project's land fees according to the 2024 Land Law.

In addition, the Department of Industry and Trade was requested to coordinate with the Department of Finance and the investor to compromise and establish the project's progress milestones, which combine the progress of approving the Feasibility Study Report; the time for approving the 1/500 detailed planning; completing the environmental impact assessment; and the timeline for construction.

Located in Tan Mai ward, the plant has a capacity of 1,500 MW, including a 1,500 MW LNG-fired thermal power plant, an LNG storage and regasification system with a tank capacity of approximately 250,000 cubic metres, and a dedicated port within the Dong Hoi Port area – Nghe An Seaport.

The venture is slated to be put into operation and generate electricity in 2030, helping provide a stable and efficient power supply to the national grid, especially in the Northern and North Central regions. Once operational, the venture will meet the energy needs for industrial development, services, and logistics, while facilitating investment in Nghe An.

PV Power shakes hands with SK Group on Quynh Lap LNG thermal power plant On May 18, the Nghe An People’s Committee and a consortium comprising PV Power, Nghe An Sugar Company (NASU), and SK Innovation held a ceremony to launch technical infrastructure works for the Quynh Lap LNG thermal power plant with a total investment of nearly $2.2 billion.

Consortium seeks Ha Tinh support to accelerate Vung Ang III LNG plant The consortium developing the $2 billion Vung Ang III Liquefied Natural Gas Power Plant has requested support from Ha Tinh authorities to accelerate land allocation and leasing procedures.

Businesses face challenges in greenhouse gas inventories Enterprises, particularly in the thermal power, cement, and iron and steel sectors, face major challenges in compiling greenhouse gas inventories due to fragmented data systems, inconsistent activity data, and a lack of dedicated personnel.

Thermal power firms post stronger first-half profits on higher power generation Local thermal power producers posted sharply higher first-half earnings as stronger coal- and gas-fired generation, driven by El Niño-related declines in hydropower output, boosted electricity dispatch and profitability.

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Investors in $2.2 billion Quynh Lap LNG project assigned urgent missions Nghe An People's Committee requires the consortium of investors of the Quynh Lap LNG thermal power plant to complete certain urgent missions in September to accelerate the project.

From 2016 to 2026, VIB’s total assets have grown from $4.02 billion to more than $22.30 billion. VIB has evolved from a bank with $1.92 million in charter capital and 23 employees in 1996 into one of Vietnam’s leading joint-stock commercial banks, establishing a strong presence in retail banking and earning a place among the Top 500 most valuable banking brands globally for multiple consecutive years.

This growth reflects a 30-year journey of continuously raising standards, innovating and transforming–so that every step forward creates greater value for customers, the market and the broader economy. The past three decades have also marked a period of profound transformation for Vietnam’s banking industry alongside the broader economy: larger scale, higher standards of governance and financial safety, technology reshaping the movement of money, and financial experiences becoming more convenient, empowering and diverse for Vietnamese consumers.

Amid these changes, VIB has continuously raised the bar, innovated and transformed. Three decades have shaped VIB into a bank built on internationally aligned governance standards, with a distinct track record in elevating financial experiences for Vietnamese consumers and an operating scale that contributes meaningfully to everyday life, businesses and the broader economy.

From building the foundation to advancing international governance standards

From $4.02 billion in 2016, VIB’s total assets surpassed $22.30 billion by mid-2026. The balance sheet has grown more than 5.5 times, equivalent to an average annual growth rate of nearly 20 per cent–one of the more notable growth trajectories among Vietnam’s joint-stock commercial banks. Behind that decade of strong growth were two decades dedicated to building the foundation for long-term development.

Between 1996 and 2016, Vietnam’s banking industry expanded significantly in both scale and its capacity to provide capital to the economy, while becoming increasingly integrated with global financial markets. At the same time, expectations around capital adequacy, governance quality and risk management continued to rise.

Photo courtesy of VIB

During this period, VIB accelerated the development of an internationally aligned governance foundation by adopting global experience, methodologies and standards, while drawing on capabilities transferred by strategic shareholders and leading advisory institutions. Across strategy, operating models, risk management, technology and operations, new approaches were put into practice and embedded as core capabilities of the bank.

In 2018, VIB became one of the first two banks in Vietnam to be recognised by the State Bank of Vietnam as meeting Basel II standards. One year later, the bank completed all three pillars of Basel II. In 2026, VIB continued to implement the Basel III capital calculation and management framework under the standardised approach.

Two decades of foundation-building strengthened VIB’s governance and operating capabilities in line with international standards, while creating the momentum for the next phase of strong growth. As the bank scaled, requirements for capital, risk management, technology and operations continued to evolve alongside its expanding footprint.

From continuous innovation to elevating the financial experience

One of the most visible changes in Vietnam’s banking market over the past decade has been the transformation of the customer experience. Customers have moved from having to visit a bank to complete transactions to carrying their bank with them on their phones; from choosing among pre-designed products to having greater control over features, benefits and how they manage their money; and from standardised service models to solutions that are increasingly tailored to individual needs.

The shift has been driven by consumers’ increasingly diverse financial needs, alongside the banking industry’s accelerating transition towards retail banking. The widespread adoption of smartphones, e-commerce and digital payments has pushed competition deeper into the customer experience–making banking more convenient, flexible and choice-driven, while enabling solutions that are increasingly tailored to individual needs. Banks with strong retail franchises have also helped accelerate this transformation through new products, technologies and service models.

As one of the banks with a leading retail banking franchise during this period, VIB has maintained a Top-tier share of retail lending in the market. From 2017 to 2025, retail lending grew at an average annual rate of 22 per cent, compared with 15 per cent for listed banks, while average return on equity reached 23 per cent, above the 17 per cent average.

For borrowing needs, VIB is redesigning the experience–from faster access to capital to greater control throughout the life of a loan. Technology and data have reduced home loan approval times to as little as 4–8 hours, while interest-rate options, principal grace periods and repayment structures are designed to adapt to customers’ needs and cash flows. This flexibility continues after disbursement, giving customers greater control over their loans and the ability to adjust their financial plans as their needs and actual cash flow evolve.

In credit cards, continuous innovation in digital capabilities, customer choice and personalised experiences has positioned VIB at the forefront of market trends. From approximately 92,000 cards in 2018, VIB’s card portfolio surpassed 1.1 million by the end of 2025. Over the same period, total card spending increased approximately 17-fold, from $360 million to nearly $5.4 billion, placing VIB among the Top 3 banks in Vietnam by card spending.

For idle cash, VIB has developed the Smart Deposit ecosystem to balance returns and liquidity–allowing unused funds to generate additional value while remaining accessible when customers need them. Within the ecosystem, the number of iDepo and Hi-Depo transactions has increased more than tenfold in less than three years since 2023. Across the Smart Deposit ecosystem, more than 7.1 million transactions, with a total value approaching $19.22 billion, have been completed–bringing greater earning potential and flexibility into the way customers manage their cash flow every day.

Photo courtesy of VIB

On digital channels, the number of MyVIB user has increased approximately 30-fold over eight years. More than 70 per cent of retail customers are now served through digital platforms, while 97 per cent of retail customer transactions are conducted through digital channels. In 2025 alone, VIB’s digital platforms processed nearly 680 million transactions, with a total value of approximately $176.9 billion. The bank has evolved from a place customers need to visit into a service embedded in their everyday financial lives.

Along this journey, VIB has turned new ideas into real-world experiences and brought those experiences to scale. The value created through each customer experience is also part of the bank’s broader operating footprint, where millions of savings, payment and financing needs are served every day.

From 2017 to 2025, VIB’s credit grew at an average annual rate of 22 per cent, compared with 15 per cent for listed banks. This growth expanded VIB’s capacity to provide capital for essential needs across everyday life and business–from housing and vehicles to working capital for household businesses and financing for companies to operate and grow.

After 30 years, VIB’s operating footprint has expanded from individual customers to businesses, and from lending and payments to treasury and foreign exchange. A strong governance foundation supports safe and sustainable scale; technology accelerates the movement of money; and business capabilities channel capital towards the needs of individuals and businesses.

VIB's pre-tax profit reaches over $199 million On July 27, Vietnam International Bank announced its business results for the first six months of 2026, with pre-tax profit reaching over VND5.18 trillion ($199.23 million), up 3 per cent on-year.

VIB launches One Card, ushering in a new era of credit cards On August 5, VIB launched the One Card, marking a new milestone in credit card innovation by integrating multiple card tiers, benefit schemes, privilege sets, and the capacity to evolve alongside the customer into a single card.

VIB 30 years: from digital transactions to personalised banking experiences VIB is marking its 30-year journey as the bank moves from digital transactions to personalised banking experiences.

Bui Hoang Hai, vice chairman of the State Securities Commission (SSC), said FTSE Russell’s upgrade of Vietnam’s stock market marked an important milestone.

Hai said the upgrade should not be viewed as the final destination, but as a foundation for Vietnam’s capital market to enter a broader and higher-quality phase of development.

Under the SSC’s direction, the capital market needs to perform three key functions simultaneously.

First, the market must become a channel for mobilising long-term capital for businesses, supporting investment, innovation and the expansion of production and business activities. Second, it needs to create a safe, transparent and fair investment environment for domestic investors. Third, international investors must be able to access the Vietnamese market conveniently and efficiently.

“A market that operates transparently and efficiently, with effective investor-protection mechanisms, will be attractive to both domestic and international capital flows. Conversely, abundant capital will help businesses strengthen their competitiveness, expand their scale and participate more deeply in global markets,” Hai said.

Bui Hoang Hai, vice chairman of the State Securities Commission. Photo: SSI

Alongside infrastructure improvements, efforts to enhance information disclosure, settlement procedures and coordination among market institutions are expected to help Vietnam’s securities market move closer to international practices.

“Going forward, the SSC will continue to coordinate with relevant authorities and market participants to strengthen safety, transparency and efficiency. One of the key tasks is to prepare for the implementation of the central counterparty clearing mechanism, while further improving the settlement system and risk management,” Hai said. “The regulator will also continue developing infrastructure to support new products and practices in the market.”

Another area of focus is raising standards for corporate governance, information disclosure, disclosure in English and investor relations. These are important factors in strengthening investor protection, reinforcing market discipline and meeting the increasingly diverse needs of domestic and international capital flows.

Fiona Bassett, CEO of FTSE Russell, said the event was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate Vietnam’s significant achievement of being included as a Secondary Emerging Market in the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series from September 21.

“This milestone also reflects the remarkable progress Vietnam has made in strengthening its capital markets, enhancing market accessibility and deepening its engagement with the global capital community. It is a recognition of the country’s long-term commitment to reform, modernisation and collaboration among regulators, exchanges, market participants and investors,” Bassett said.

“At FTSE Russell, we have had the privilege of working alongside Vietnamese companies and market participants for many years. Throughout that time, we have seen first-hand the dedication, engagement and partnership that have helped make this achievement possible,” she said. “In fact, it is fair to say that Vietnam provides a model for other countries undertaking a similar journey.”

Fiona Bassett, CEO of FTSE Russell. Photo: SSI

Bassett said that while the day marked an important milestone, it was also part of a much broader story. Vietnam is becoming increasingly integrated into global capital markets and is taking on greater international importance.

“The progress achieved in recent years has helped position the Vietnamese market for greater participation in global investment markets, and that is something everyone here should be very proud of,” she said. “We are proud to have played a small role in this journey and look forward to continuing our partnership with Vietnam in the years ahead. This is a milestone that all of us will remember for a very long time.”

Duncan Burns, head of Investment Management and Global Equity, Asia-Pacific at Vanguard, said Vietnam’s market upgrade will give millions of global investors' exposure to the country’s future through their diversified portfolios.

“What has impressed me most during my week-long stay in Vietnam is the strong local focus. History suggests that inclusion in major benchmarks often brings greater visibility, broader investment participation, improved access to capital and greater financial support,” said Burns.

“Domestically, these outcomes will help support the objectives of the SSC. The common theme is that greater access to capital and future growth will create new opportunities for investors in a safer, more transparent and more reliable environment, while supporting Vietnam’s continued development.”

Burns expressed Vanguard’s sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed to this achievement, including the SSC, the Ministry of Finance, the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation, the Vietnam Exchange, SSI and other local brokers, custodian banks, and, of course, its partners at FTSE Russell.

“Progress of this kind does not happen because of a single decision or a single action. It is the result of years of hard work and collaboration across institutions united by a common objective. Today is a celebration of those efforts,” he said. “We are excited about what comes next for Vietnam and are proud to be a long-term partner in your investment community.”

SSI CEO Nguyen Duc Thong. Photo: SSI

SSI CEO Nguyen Duc Thong offered a different perspective on the market-upgrade milestone. He noted that Vietnam had spent eight years on FTSE Russell’s watchlist. Looking further back, Vietnam’s stock market began in 2000 with just two listed companies.

“What excites us most is not simply the name or status, but what comes with it. That means deeper liquidity, higher standards and, most importantly, a new pool of investors with higher expectations,” he said. “The details of these higher expectations also highlight another side of the upgrade. Vietnam’s entry into a new market category could broaden access to global institutional investors, but at the same time, the market, listed companies and securities firms themselves will have to adapt to higher requirements for service quality, transparency, governance and infrastructure.”

FTSE Russell names 27 Vietnamese stocks in review FTSE Russell has added 27 Vietnamese stocks to its global equity indices, marking a major milestone as Vietnam prepares to transition to emerging market status in September.

FTSE upgrade puts Vietnam on global investors’ radar, now investability must follow FTSE Russell has added 27 Vietnamese stocks to the FTSE Global All Cap Index as part of its September semi-annual review. In an interview with VIR’s Hazy Tran, Thomas Nguyen, Chief Global Markets Officer at SSI Securities said that FTSE Russell’s inclusion could bring billions in passive inflows, but the bigger opportunity lies in Vietnam’s institutional transformation.

1 Elizabeth Street in Sydney, home to Industrious' new Australian flagship, opening on 1 October 2026.

Following CBRE's acquisition of Industrious in 2025 and The Great Room's rebrand to Industrious on 1 July, the company now operates more than 250 locations across 80 cities globally, with a growing presence across Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.

The new 2,500-square-metre workspace spans Levels 35 and 36 of 1 Elizabeth Street, with expansive views across Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. Positioned directly above Martin Place Metro Station, it gives businesses a highly connected base in the heart of Sydney's CBD, combining premium workplace design with Industrious' hospitality-led approach.

The flagship includes customisable private offices and suites designed for businesses of different sizes, from smaller private offices through to customisable enterprise suites, alongside meeting and collaboration spaces, executive lounges, and quieter areas for focused work.

The space draws directly from the geological heritage of Sydney, featuring carved, eroded characteristics of harbour sandstone. Responding to 1 Elizabeth Street's exposed beams, visible services, and expansive glazing, the design pairs a refined industrial canvas with an authentic local palette. High ceilings and a dual-floor layout create an impressive sense of space, while sweeping harbour views ground the space with a clear connection to Sydney's quintessential identity. Designed to shape how teams work, meet, and collaborate, a vibrant reception and bar area crafted with travertine and harbour-inspired metalwork, and breakout spaces with fluted glazing provide intuitive transitions between active hosting and quiet focus. By balancing high-touch detail with 1 Elizabeth's 6 Star Green Star design credentials, the workspace delivers an environment that feels distinctly Sydney, and meticulously built to enhance productivity and pride of place for enterprise teams.

Derek Hung, General Manager, Australia, says, "Companies are being much more deliberate about where they put their teams. They still want flexibility, but they also want great buildings, strong locations and workplaces their people actually want to come into. Our existing Sydney locations have been performing strongly, and 1 Elizabeth Street gives us the opportunity to build on that in one of the best-connected buildings in the city. It works equally well for growing Australian businesses and international companies establishing a presence here. Through the broader Industrious network, those companies can also operate across our global markets, with a consistent workplace experience rather than having to reinvent their strategy in every market."

Businesses and individuals can arrange private preview tours and register pre-leasing interest at: https://www.industriousoffice.com/locations/1-elizabeth-street-level-35-sydney

https://www.industriousoffice.com/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

De Beers Group WeChat

ADiamondisForever on RED

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

At 10:25 a.m. that day at the Madao Hub, the inaugural vessel let out a resonant whistle that echoed through the air and the enthusiastic applause of the crowd witnessing this historic moment. The Pinglu Canal, the century dragon connecting rivers to the sea, officially opened to navigation. At Qinzhou Port, where the horizon blends seamlessly with the vast expanse of sea and sky, the Madao Hub stands as a towering symbol of ambition and progress. Its giant 39.08-meter-tall inverted V-shaped lock gates, like a steel giant spreading its arms wide, open the gateway to an era of maritime strength and prosperity.

The Pinglu Canal begins at the Pingtang River Estuary in Hengzhou, Nanning, Guangxi. It passes through Luwu Town in Lingshan County, Qinzhou, and flows into the Beibu Gulf via the Qinjiang River. Spanning a total length of 134.2 kilometers, it is built to meet Grade I inland waterway standards, accommodating vessels of up to 5,000 tons.

Since its construction began on August 28, 2022, hundreds of participating units and tens of thousands of builders have worked tirelessly day and night to create a project that meets high standards and high quality, with a focus on excellence, sustainability, and integrity. The project encompasses the construction of the Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian cascaded hubs, along with navigation channels and supporting facilities. The Pinglu Canal has set four world records, namely the highest navigation capacity among similar canals worldwide, the fastest lock operation speed for ship locks of its kind, the highest water head of a water-saving ship lock globally, and the largest scale of water-saving ship locks on inland rivers worldwide.

On the day of its launch, the "Nanning-Can Tho (Vietnam)" international trade route and the "Nanning-Yangpu (Hainan)" domestic trade route were officially opened in both directions. Fourteen cargo ships, fully loaded with sugar, building materials, minerals, steel, and other goods, successfully passed through the locks and embarked on their inaugural voyages. Meanwhile, sixteen ships carrying coal, iron ore, bauxite, fertilizers, high-calcium limestone, and other goods entered the Xijiang River Basin in an organized manner. The three major hubs, i.e., Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian, worked seamlessly in coordination, ensuring that ship lock scheduling was standardized, orderly, safe, and efficient.

Simultaneously, four water passenger transport routes were launched, namely the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Madao Hub Loop Line, the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area to Pingtang River Estuary Loop Line, the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Qingnian Hub Loop Line, and the Qinzhou Water Comprehensive Service Area to Longmen Bridge Loop Line.

The Pinglu Canal connects to the Xijiang River system in the north and extends to the Beibu Gulf in the south, establishing a second maritime route to the sea for the Pearl River-Xijiang River system. This new waterway provides southwestern China with a direct link to the Beibu Gulf, complementing the existing eastward sea route and shortening the journey to the sea by more than 560 kilometers. It is expected to save over 5 billion yuan in annual freight costs for the regions along the route.

At the inauguration ceremony, experts highlighted the profound historical significance of the event. Over 2,000 years ago, the Lingqu Canal was constructed in Guangxi, linking the Yangtze River and Pearl River water systems. Today, a new canal has been completed in the same region, providing direct access to the rivers and seas. The completion and opening of the Pinglu Canal will not only reshape Guangxi's development landscape but also play a pivotal role in advancing the openness and growth of southwestern and south-central China, as well as the entire nation. Furthermore, it will inject fresh momentum into China-ASEAN transportation, logistics, and economic and trade cooperation.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

1. McKinsey & Company, "Where AI is creating real value in real estate" – https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/where-ai-is-creating-real-value-in-real-estate
2. PwC & Urban Land Institute (ULI), "Emerging Trends in Real Estate: Europe 2026" – https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/real-estate/emerging-trends-real-estate/europe.html

"AI is transforming how businesses turn data into action, and Circana is focused on making that transformation practical, scalable, and valuable for our clients," said Stuart Aitken, president and chief executive officer for Circana. "With Analysis Builder, we're making it easier for users to uncover insights faster, make more confident decisions, and unlock growth in an increasingly complex marketplace."

Analysis Builder in Unify+ puts the power of AI directly into the hands of every client. It streamlines how users create, customize, and share analyses, helping to reduce time spent building reports and increasing time spent acting on what the data reveals.

New AI-Powered Capabilities

The enhancement introduces AI-powered capabilities designed to accelerate analysis and decision-making:

• Visualization Gallery: Generates pixel-perfect, presentation-ready visuals with the click of a button, available online or for export to PowerPoint, Excel, or PDF.
• AI Insights: Uses an insights agent with AI-powered capabilities to unlock data-driven headlines and insight summaries in seconds, along with query functionality that allows every user to customize the AI analysis to their individual report needs.

"Analysis Builder reflects our continued focus on making insights easier to access, understand, and act on," said Robert Bird, executive vice president and general manager of Liquid AI for Circana. "By combining a more intuitive Unify+ experience with advanced AI capabilities, we are helping clients spend less time building reports and more time applying insights to the decisions that drive growth."

Analysis Builder will be available globally to clients in early Q4 2026.

Learn more at circana.com.

With Fotor Agent, users can create complete, production-ready videos and 4K motion graphics—all fully editable through natural-language prompts. Starting with a brief or raw source materials, the agent understands creative intent, manages long-horizon logical reasoning and planning, generates supporting assets, organizes scenes, and automatically assembles everything onto a multi-track timeline—giving creators total control to refine every detail.

From AI Generation to AI Production

While generating individual clips with AI video models has become virtually effortless, a major industry bottleneck in video production remains: seamlessly orchestrating these fragmented assets—along with music, voiceovers, motion graphics, and subtitles—into a cohesive, release-ready long-form narrative.

Today's standard video production pipeline remains notoriously fragmented across a wide array of software. Creators must write scripts, map out storyboards, generate video clips, produce subtitles, synthesize voiceovers, source background tracks, and design custom transitions—all across separate tools. Advanced motion graphics often demand specialized software like Adobe After Effects. Then, bringing dozens or even hundreds of disparate media assets together in a video editor like Premiere Pro or CapCut for manual assembly requires constant context-switching between disconnected apps, consuming an immense amount of time, creative energy, and resources.

Fotor Agent bridges this critical gap through its advanced long-horizon reasoning and planning capabilities. Built for end-to-end production, the agent transforms raw creative vision into fully assembled, production-ready narrative videos within a single, unified environment.

Intent-Driven Narrative & Coordinated Generation: Translates creative intent into comprehensive scripts and storyboards—automatically structuring long-form narrative arcs with dramatic pacing—while dynamically orchestrating all media components to guarantee complete character, product, and visual consistency.

Automated Multi-Track Assembly: The engine instantly populates and aligns all generated assets onto independent, dedicated tracks. Guided by your initial input, it automatically calculates precise layout, timing, and layering across the entire timeline, delivering a complete edit in a single pass without human intervention.

In short: Creators bring the imagination—Fotor Agent handles complete video production inside a single system, eliminating the need for fragmented tools. Whether you're producing brand campaigns, social ads, product demos, science explainers, data visualizations, corporate reports, or dynamic motion graphic promos, the Agent delivers complete, high-quality, production-ready videos.

Create After Effects-level Precision Motion Graphics

Motion graphics are indispensable to modern visual communications—powering everything from high-impact product demos and corporate reporting to scientific explainers and social campaigns. Yet, achieving After Effects-level motion design has long required specialized software, steep technical barriers, and tedious production cycles.

Fotor Agent reimagines motion graphics production with chat-driven workflows. Creators can simply describe their ideas to instantly produce AE-grade 4K animated infographics—translating raw information like charts, line graphs, data cards, key metrics, and process diagrams with pixel-perfect text accuracy. By automating complex motion design, the Agent cuts production time and costs by two orders of magnitude.

Conventional AI video models bake motion graphics directly into uneditable pixel streams, locking visual layers and timing into static video files where any late-stage modification requires a costly full regeneration. In contrast, Fotor Agent keeps graphic elements fully parametric. Text, brand colors, charts, visual layers, animation pacing, and element positions remain live and fully interactive on the preview canvas.

Editable Projects: Designed for Total Post-Production

Conventional AI video generators output flattened video files—where even a minor tweak to a specific region or element forces a time-consuming full-project regeneration. Fotor Agent transforms this process by delivering a fully transparent, multi-track editable project. While the AI Agent handles macro narrative structure and orchestration, the built-in editor gives you flexible element-level post-production control.

Complete Non-Destructive Editing Suite:

Decoupled multi-track Timeline: Video, voiceovers, music, sound effects, subtitles, and motion graphics are organized into dedicated tracks. Creators can select specific clips or assets on the timeline for localized manual editing, or attach them in chat for precise, conversational prompt adjustments with the Agent.

Editable Motion Graphics: Empowering creators with granular control over visual elements right on the video canvas. Instead of forcing full scene re-renders for minor updates, creators can directly select and fine-tune motion graphics on the spot—revising text content, adjusting font sizes, customizing color palettes, tweaking line thickness, repositioning elements or reordering flowchart steps through intuitive parameter controls.

Semantic-Level Intelligent Video Editing

Fotor Agent intelligently analyzes video content to grasp your creative vision and key messaging, automatically transforming long-form videos into high-impact highlights. Guided by smart video editing algorithms, it pinpoints peak moments, strips out filler and bloopers, inserts context-aware B-roll, and auto-completes subtitles, background music, and smooth transitions.

Taking editing a step further, the engine intelligently pairs standard video footage with dynamic Motion Graphics and high-end typography. By automatically matching visual styles, layouts, and pacing to your video's context, it effortlessly elevates ordinary raw footage into sophisticated, professional-grade visual content.

Radical Cost Reduction and Unmatched Production Efficiency

By unifying long-horizon planning, asset generation, motion design, and editing into a single automated workspace, Fotor Agent dramatically slashes production costs and accelerates delivery. What once took marketing teams 3 to 5 days across the entire end-to-end video production pipeline—from initial creative briefing and scripting to asset generation, timeline assembly, final packaging, and adjusting—is now compressed into under 1 hour for 2-minute video, enabling rapid content scaling, low-cost A/B testing, and effortless global campaign rollouts.

End-to-End Automated Orchestration: Instead of manually stitching together fragmented tools and assets, the Agent automatically coordinates narrative design, asset generation, and timeline assembly in a single pass—eliminating the friction of traditional manual workflows and saving significant time.

Non-Destructive Iteration: Continuous revision and editing remain a critical bottleneck in traditional video workflows. Fotor Agent eliminates costly full-project regenerations by allowing precise, element-level adjustments directly on the multi-track timeline and canvas—drastically slashing iteration costs.

Exponential Savings in Motion Graphics: The cost impact is especially striking in high-end motion design. According to Fotor's internal benchmarks, the Agent cuts MG production costs to 1/200th of traditional After Effects workflows while boosting generation and editing speed 50-fold. Crucially, because elements stay fully parametric, you can edit text, layout, or animation timing on the fly—without paying for extra renders.

New Foundation for AI-Powered Visual Creation

"Professional visual capability should be accessible to everyone," said Tony Duan, Founder and CEO of Fotor. "Fotor Agent bridges the gap between raw AI output and real-world execution, marking the shift from generating individual assets to completing the entire production process."

Integrated into Fotor's AI Vibe Marketing workflow, Fotor Agent extends the platform from image and design creation to end-to-end, fully editable video production.

Fotor Agent is available at www.fotor.com/agent/.

The update expands Repairit beyond its core repair scenarios for corrupted, damaged, or unplayable videos and images, bringing AI-powered enhancement, editing, and creation into the same desktop workflow.

Edit Images with Natural Language

Repairit V6.8 introduces One-Prompt Edit, allowing users to describe what they want to change in an image rather than manually searching for individual editing tools.

For example, users can enter instructions such as "remove the people in the background," "make the image brighter," or "make this photo sharper." Repairit interprets the request and applies the corresponding edits, making common image adjustments more accessible without requiring users to navigate detailed editing controls.

Reimagine Images with AI Scene Reconstruction

V6.8 also adds AI Scene Reconstruction, which enables users to reshape an image's background, lighting, and overall visual style using AI-powered presets.

The feature supports scenarios including product images, portraits, marketing visuals, and ID photos. Users can choose from options such as Golden Hour, Cinematic, Sunny Day, Studio Look, and AI Remove Passersby to reshape elements including the background, lighting, and overall visual style.

Turn Static Images into Short Videos

Extending the workflow from image editing to content creation, Repairit V6.8 introduces image-to-video generation. Users can use one or multiple static images as inputs to generate short videos.

The capability allows existing photos and product assets to be repurposed into shareable visual content, giving users a faster way to move from static image assets to short-form video for social, promotional, and other content needs.

Together, these capabilities extend Repairit across more stages of the image workflow, from editing and reimagining existing images to creating new visual content.

More Efficient Processing for High-Volume Image Tasks

Beyond the new AI capabilities, V6.8 also improves the workflow for users who frequently process multiple images.

Background Remover and Watermark Remover now support more streamlined batch processing. Users can import multiple images at once and use Apply to All to apply the selected operation to unfinished images, reducing the need to repeat the same action across individual files.

Repairit has also updated its AI credit handling to provide greater visibility before users start an AI task. V6.8 shows the estimated credit consumption in advance, automatically returns credits when a task fails, and does not charge credits again for repeated exports of the same result.

These changes are designed to make AI-powered image processing more predictable, particularly for users working with multiple images or repeating the same tasks.

"With V6.8, Repairit is expanding beyond image repair to support more of the everyday image workflow," said Patrick Pan, Head of Product, Wondershare Repairit. "We want to make these capabilities more accessible while helping users handle common image tasks more efficiently."

Wondershare Repairit is an AI-powered media repair and enhancement solution for video and images. Its core capabilities include repairing corrupted, damaged, or unplayable video and image files, alongside AI-powered tools for enhancement, editing, scene reconstruction, and visual content creation. Designed for both everyday users and content creators, Repairit helps users restore important media, improve visual quality, and continue working with their content in one streamlined workflow.

TestMu AI launched Kane CLI in April 2026 as a terminal-native browser automation tool built for both human developers and AI coding agents, including Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, and Gemini CLI. Operating on plain-language intent rather than selectors, Kane CLI lets teams describe a flow and get a pass-or-fail verdict with a full step trace and screenshot, export flows to native Playwright code, and run headlessly in CI pipelines. Since launch, it has added AI-powered test case generation through kane-cli generate, which turns a one-line description into scenarios and test cases. The Assurance Lifecycle is the next step: tests that are derived from the actual requirement documents, not just from a prompt.

Most test suites still answer the wrong question. They report how many tests passed, not which requirements were verified. Tests drift from the specs that inspired them, coverage becomes a guess, and when a requirement changes, nobody knows which tests went stale. The Assurance Lifecycle takes on the step before and after execution: turning requirements into designed tests, and turning test runs into an auditable account of what was proved.

How the Assurance Lifecycle works:

• Capture: kane-cli context ingest snapshots requirement documents — a PRD, a spec, a policy page, into a local, content-addressed store.
• Extract: An agent reads the sources and proposes use cases, citing the exact lines it read.
• Review: Teams promote proposals to trusted, edit them, or reject them. Everything an agent proposes starts as derived; nothing is silently trusted.
• Design: kane-cli design tests turns a use-case into acceptance criteria, scenarios, and runnable tests — exactly one test per scenario, each tagged with the criteria it verifies. Design output goes through the same review.
• Execute: Designed tests run through kane-cli testmd run and kane-cli testrun run; every run seals an evidence pack.
• Measure: kane-cli cover reports two axes — what a run proved and what the design still owes. Missing coverage is recorded as a ranked gap, not silence.
• Maintain: kane-cli maintain reconciles the suite when a source document changes, marking everything extracted from the old snapshot as stale until it is re-verified.

Every stage is a separate command, so teams can stop, review, and resume at any point; nothing downstream happens without the upstream commit. The assurance store lives in the project directory, is append-only with a replayable history, and stays local: sources, use-cases, designs, and review verdicts live on the developer's disk, not on a server. The full lifecycle runs headless in CI or from an AI agent, so an agent can build a feature, design tests against the spec, and report coverage in the same workflow.

The Assurance Lifecycle complements kane-cli generate rather than replacing it. Teams that want ten good test ideas in a minute start with generate; teams that have a PRD and need to answer 'what exactly is covered, and how do we know?' start with assurance.

"AI agents now write code faster than any team can verify it, and the gap between the two is validation debt. Kane CLI closed the first part of that gap in April by giving agents and developers a real browser and a pass-or-fail verdict. The Assurance Lifecycle closes the rest," said Mudit Singh, Co-Founder and Head of Growth, TestMu AI. "A green suite has never told you what it actually proved. Now every test traces back to the requirement it verifies, every run seals its evidence, and coverage becomes an account you can audit rather than a number you hope is true. When a spec changes, the suite tells you what went stale instead of quietly rotting. That is what assurance has to mean at agentic speed."

The Assurance Lifecycle is available today in Kane CLI 0.6.1 and later; existing users can upgrade via npm or Homebrew. The extract, design, and maintain-reconcile steps run on the KaneAI agent and consume credits, while review, coverage, and store operations are local and free.

For documentation, visit testmuai.com/support/docs/kane-cli-assurance/ and to learn more about Kane CLI, visit testmuai.com/kane-cli.

For more information, visit https://www.testmuai.com/.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Skopenow excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to align its growth strategy with evolving enterprise OSINT requirements while executing initiatives that deliver measurable customer value. "Skopenow shares that its ongoing investment in trusted public data sources underpins its ability to deliver reliable identity resolution and defensible investigative findings, creating a data advantage that competitors cannot easily replicate. It also emphasizes responsible OSINT practices and repeatable investigative workflows, enabling consistent outcomes across diverse customer environments," said Danielle VanZandt, Associate Research Director, Security, Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a strategy centered on practical customer needs, Skopenow continues to expand the role of OSINT across enterprise workflows. Its platform helps corporate security, fraud, compliance, and due diligence teams identify potential risks, resolve fragmented information, and reach more reliable conclusions when public data is incomplete or difficult to verify. The company also applies artificial intelligence to structured tasks such as translation and data processing, supporting investigative efficiency while maintaining a focus on predictable and auditable results.

Innovation remains central to Skopenow's approach. Its OSINT platform brings together identity resolution, relationship analysis, risk prioritization, situational awareness, data coverage, and reporting within a unified environment. Across five core products, Skopenow helps organizations reduce manual validation and report preparation while managing higher case volumes without a proportional increase in investigative resources. Flexible deployment options, including user interfaces, batch processing, API connectivity, and workflow integrations allow customers to incorporate OSINT into existing operational processes.

"Our customers rely on Skopenow to make sense of complex public data and act with confidence," said Rob Douglas, Co-Founder and CEO of Skopenow. "Earning this recognition two years in a row shows we've continued to deliver where it matters."

Skopenow's commitment to customer experience further strengthens its market position. The company supports customers through dedicated customer success managers, live phone, email, and chat support, tailored training, webinars, and ongoing educational initiatives. Programs such as OSINT Live and customer-specific training help organizations strengthen investigative capabilities alongside their use of the platform, reinforcing Skopenow's emphasis on long-term customer value and collaboration. Frost & Sullivan commends Skopenow for combining data depth, investigative expertise, platform innovation, and customer engagement to address the evolving requirements of commercial OSINT. Its focus on trusted intelligence and repeatable workflows positions the company to support the continued expansion of OSINT across enterprise risk and investigative functions.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Company of the Year Recognition to a company that demonstrates outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in market share, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning. The recognition honors forward-thinking organizations that are reshaping their industries through innovation and growth excellence.

For more information, visit www.skopenow.com

The decision came as no surprise, with previous surveys showing that the probability of a Fed rate hike had risen to nearly 90 per cent. The market is now pricing in at least one more rate hike this year, as inflation remains elevated and is showing signs of rising again amid higher oil prices.

Goldman Sachs expected the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by another 25 basis points in October, following the US central bank’s hawkish signal.

The new forecast marks a reversal from Goldman Sachs’ previous view that the Fed had completed its monetary tightening cycle following the 25-basis-point rate hike in September.

Goldman Sachs said the Fed’s updated rate projections strongly suggested that most policymakers expect at least one more rate hike this year. The investment bank sees October as the most likely timing for the next increase, as policymakers believe further tightening would help bring inflation back to the 2 per cent target more quickly.

Photo: tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Following the Fed’s decision, the DXY index rose sharply and is now trading above the 100-point mark, compared with 99.6 a day earlier. However, the impact on Vietnam’s stock market is expected to be limited.

Truong Quang Binh, an analyst at Yuanta Vietnam cited historical data showing the VN-Index has typically tended to decline ahead of Fed rate hikes. In the three Fed rate hikes recorded during the 2005-2026 period, the VN-Index fell during the 20 sessions preceding each decision, by around 4 per cent in December 2015, 1.3 per cent in December 2016 and 3 per cent in March 2022.

“Following the rate hikes, the VN-Index did not record significant declines over the subsequent five sessions, indicating that the short-term impact on the market was not particularly large. Over the medium term, performance after 20–60 sessions will depend on a range of factors, notably domestic interest-rate trends and exchange-rate movements,” said Binh.

“From an investment-strategy perspective, we recommended that investors reduce their equity exposure from the beginning of last week. Under the current conditions, investors should continue to maintain a low equity allocation, at around 40 per cent in stocks and 60 per cent in cash, while waiting for the market to fully reflect the new factors and for valuations to become more attractive before deploying capital,” he added.

Binh noted that investors should also closely monitor developments in exchange rates and domestic interest rates. If these factors do not deteriorate in the coming days, equity exposure could gradually be increased.

Taking a more cautious view, Luong Duy Phuoc, director of Market Research at Kafi Securities, said Vietnam’s market had already made some preparations for a scenario in which the Fed maintains a tighter monetary policy stance. As a result, the key factors to watch after the meeting will be the response of US Treasury yields and the US dollar.

“However, if US Treasury yields and the USD rise more sharply than expected, pressure on the exchange rate and foreign capital flows will become factors requiring particular attention. Therefore, the key variable for the stock market, in our view, lies in what comes after the decision: what signals the Fed sends about the next stage of its policy path, and how the US bond and currency markets respond,” he said.

Gold hits record, stocks slip as Trump fuels Fed fears Bullion hit another record Tuesday while the dollar steadied and equities mostly fell as Donald Trump's latest salvo against Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell added fuel to fears about the central bank's independence.

Fed rate cut offers Vietnam room to stabilise currency and economy The US Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of 2025 is easing borrowing costs and offering Vietnam room to stabilise its currency and economy.

Fed holds rates steady for fifth straight meeting While the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged amid a resilient US economy and lingering inflation pressures, the prospect of further tightening remains a key external risk that Vietnam will need to monitor closely.

At a seminar in Hanoi on September 17 titled 'A Listing Roadmap for FIEs in Vietnam', SSI CEO Nguyen Duc Thong said the presence of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in Vietnam's capital market remains disproportionate to their role in the economy. The event was organised by SSI Corporation.

"FIEs disbursed around $27.6 billion in Vietnam last year and generated more than three-quarters of the country's export turnover," Thong said. "After around three decades of development, foreign investment has become an important component of Vietnam's economy."

"The picture on the stock market, however, is quite different," he added. Vietnam currently has more than 1,600 listed companies and enterprises registered for trading, along with more than 12 million investors, while the market is worth around $350 billion. Yet, only 10 FIEs are present on the market, representing approximately 0.15 per cent of its total value.

Another gap highlighted by the SSI CEO is the lack of new FIEs in recent years. Since 2017, the Vietnamese stock market has not recorded any new FIE listing.

"In practice, a stock market listing is more than simply a means of raising capital and can become a milestone in a company’s development strategy," he said. Becoming a public company entails higher requirements for corporate governance and information transparency, while also helping businesses build credibility with customers, partners, and investors. Companies can also gain greater access to long-term domestic capital to support business expansion.

"For FIEs, participating in the stock market can also demonstrate their long-term commitment to the Vietnamese market," Thong said. "The timing is now more favourable as Vietnam’s capital market enters a new phase of development, supported by legal reforms, new trading infrastructure, and the country’s transition from frontier to emerging-market status."

Explaining the need to encourage greater participation by FIEs, Thong said Vietnam’s capital market is entering a new phase. Legal reforms, new trading infrastructure, and the transition from a frontier to an emerging market are bringing leading international investors to Vietnam. These investors are looking for high-quality issuers with strong governance and solid business operations.

“With changes to the Law on Securities and its guiding decrees last year, there is now a clear legal framework for enterprises to pursue a listing,” he said.

SSI, for its part, has committed to accompanying FIEs throughout the process, from initial public offering preparation, strategy development, and restructuring to investor engagement and the post-listing period.

"We aim to become a long-term partner for the international business community in Vietnam, as well as for the investors who own these companies," Thong added.

Greater participation by FIEs in the public market would expand investment choices, add depth and quality to the stock market, and strengthen connections between Vietnam's capital market and international capital flows.

Given the significant contribution of FIEs to Vietnam's exports but their limited presence on the stock market, Thong expressed hope that discussions among regulators, businesses, and financial institutions would give the foreign investor community additional information to consider participating in Vietnam's capital market.

FTSE Russell names 27 Vietnamese stocks in review FTSE Russell has added 27 Vietnamese stocks to its global equity indices, marking a major milestone as Vietnam prepares to transition to emerging market status in September.

HSX market capitalisation gains 7.55 per cent in August Vietnam’s stock market extended its gains in August, with major indices rising and HSX stock capitalisation climbing 7.55 per cent amid robust market activity.

Vietnam’s challenge to turn market reform into long-term capital According to Mickey Maini, founder of Solstice Laboratory, an independent research centre focused on markets, geopolitics and finance, following Vietnam’s market upgrade, the next challenge is to turn this upgrade into sustained capital inflows and deeper economic development.

According to the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), the three priority value chains are: high-tech industry linked to seaports, aviation, and logistics; agriculture and fisheries linked to deep processing, cold chains, branding, and exports; and clean energy, the circular economy, and climate change adaptation.

According to Pham Quang Nhat, director of Ho Chi Minh City ITPC, the key to regional connectivity is to turn the distinct strengths of each locality into a shared advantage across an integrated value chain.

“The Southeast has strengths in high-tech industry, digital technology and international logistics, while the Mekong Delta has advantages in modern agriculture, fisheries, the marine economy and renewable energy,” Nhat said.

“This approach places Ho Chi Minh City, the Southeast and the Mekong Delta within a complementary regional structure, rather than having them compete individually. Localities can take on production, raw materials and supply capacity, while Ho Chi Minh City leverages its strengths in consumption, exports, finance and international market connectivity,” he added.

When these links are embedded in specific projects, regional connectivity can create an integrated investment space with greater scale and competitiveness than if each locality were to pursue investment promotion independently.

Dang Hong Anh, vice chairman of Thanh Thanh Cong Group (TTC Group) and chairman of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs’ Association, said that within TTC Group's resource structure, Ho Chi Minh City serves as the centre for management, finance and research and development, while southern provinces form a strategic production belt, accounting for more than 70 per cent of total investment.

TTC Group currently exports processed agricultural products to more than 40 countries, operates a clean energy system with a total capacity of more than 600 MW, and has developed infrastructure for more than 1,300 hectares of industrial parks and clusters.

Amid the waves of digital transformation, green transformation, and AI, Anh has proposed three groups of innovative policy solutions to create fresh momentum for the private sector, including to establish an incentive mechanism to encourage investment in new technology infrastructure, including data centres, digital infrastructure, and green energy; accelerate the planning of clean land funds, ensure high-capacity power supplies, and introduce flexible policy sandbox mechanisms.

Second, adopt a new management approach and accelerate administrative reform, applying a 'green channel' or a truly effective 'one-stop' mechanism for large-scale green transformation projects to reduce time costs, while creating a secure legal environment to protect entrepreneurs who are willing to take initiative and act decisively.

Third, establish technology and green development support funds, provide long-term preferential credit packages, and introduce incentives for large corporations to serve as lead enterprises, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in joining supply chains.

“The private sector is willing to work alongside the state economic sector and foreign-invested enterprises to form a strong 'three-legged stool' that strengthens national competitiveness. The young business community is committed to taking the lead in digital transformation and adopting environmental, social, and governance standards to strengthen corporate governance, while promoting substantive cooperation to contribute to the country’s prosperous development,” Anh said.

Dinh Hong Ky, representing the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Business Associations, said that businesses’ investment mindset is changing rapidly.

“In the past, when choosing an investment location, businesses tended to focus on land prices, labour costs, tax incentives, and proximity to markets. These factors remain important, but they are no longer enough. Businesses today must also consider logistics and energy infrastructure, human resources, supply chains, digital transformation capabilities, environmental requirements, sustainable development, and connectivity with both domestic and international markets,” Ky said.

The latest figures show that capital continues to flow to locations with sufficiently strong investment ecosystems.

In the first eight months alone, Ho Chi Minh City attracted more than $10 billion in foreign investment, up more than 167 per cent on-year and reaching over 91 per cent of the full-year target.

“New investors coming in show the city’s attractiveness. But existing investors continuing to inject fresh capital is an important signal of confidence. In the next phase of investment competition, it will not simply be a competition over incentives, but over the quality of the entire business ecosystem,” Ky said.

In addition, businesses need greater certainty and consistency rather than promises of incentives. What businesses fear most is not necessarily high costs, but uncertainty.

According to Ky, businesses need a truly accountable focal point.

“A common difficulty for businesses is that a project has to go through many different agencies. Each agency performs its functions properly, but ultimately businesses have to connect the entire system themselves, even though provinces and cities have long applied the ‘one-stop shop’ mechanism,” he said.

“This is something we can change. For important projects, local authorities should appoint a single focal point to oversee it from the time an investor first explores the opportunity until the factory or project becomes operational,” he added.

In addition, Ho Chi Minh City and the seven localities need to be more closely integrated.

According to VCCI, around 70 per cent of goods exported from the Mekong Delta still have to be transshipped through ports in Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast region. The region’s logistics costs account for around 20–25 per cent of product costs.

“I believe this is both a hindrance and a clear indication of a reality: the economy became regionally interconnected before we started talking about regional connectivity,” Ky said.

Photo: ITPC

Ho Chi Minh City proposes wider access to direct power trading Ho Chi Minh City is proposing to expand direct power trading to businesses in industrial parks, high-tech parks, and other designated economic zones, widening access to direct power purchase agreements (DPPAs) with electricity generators.

Ho Chi Minh City's 50th celebrated through community stories A series of community activities led by One Central Saigon has drawn thousands of residents and visitors, alongside more than 1,000 entries for the 'Write a Story, A City' competition, honouring the identity of Ho Chi Minh City.

Released on September 17, the report titled 'The World Rewired: Shifts in Global Trade and Foreign Direct Investment' finds that corporates are placing greater emphasis on working capital, liquidity, and cash visibility while trade routes and sourcing relationships continue to change.

According to the data, the conflict in the Middle East as well as elevated oil and refined product prices have kept Citi's Global Supply Chain Pressure Index at its highest sustained level since 2021-2022. Against that backdrop, corporate treasurers are increasingly focused on extracting the cash that is embedded in their supply chains, creating a liquidity advantage that actively strengthens resilience-building.

72 per cent of global corporates identify releasing trapped liquidity as their top strategic priority for the next 12 months, up from 66 per cent at the start of 2026. For 64 per cent of respondents, discovering how much liquidity is trapped in their supply chains has become a key driver of working capital strategy, compared to 55 per cent earlier in the year.

"For several years the conversation was dominated by resilience through diversification," said Adoniro Cestari, global head of Trade and Working Capital Solutions at Citi Services. "Companies diversified their supplier base and redesigned sourcing strategies to strengthen their operations. Now treasury teams are turning to a related question: where is our cash sitting, and how quickly can it be put to work?"

Citi's payment and receivable flows data show global trade continuing to grow despite disruption. Overall payment flows rose 40 per cent on-year in the first half of 2026, with growth recorded across every major region that Citi tracks.

Growth in technology payments led the way at a time when the global AI infrastructure buildout continues to reshape capital flows. Globally, these flows grew by 50 per cent on-year, with Asia and Latin America flows increasing by 60 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively. Domestic US flows increased by 37 per cent while cross-border flows from Taiwan to Singapore grew 90 per cent and flows from the US to Taiwan increased by 36 per cent. These domestic and cross-border flows were responsible for a significant portion of the technology sector’s overall growth.

Trade routes are shifting alongside these payment flows. China's vehicle and parts exports illustrate the pattern clearly: North America once absorbed roughly a third of these shipments, but its share has decreased to about 13 per cent by mid-2026. Africa, by contrast, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing destinations, nearly doubling its share from around 8 per cent in 2022 to above 15 per cent today, while Latin America has become the largest overall gainer in the category.

A similar reorientation is underway in agriculture. Brazil and Argentina have helped Latin America cement itself as China's dominant agricultural supplier, capturing between a third and nearly half of total import share in recent quarters, respectively.

Cost pressures continue to be a key influence on attitudes towards working capital management. Globally, 68 per cent of corporates said increasing input costs was a key factor in shaping their working capital decisions and 59 per cent said elevated interest rates were an influence on their attitudes towards working capital management. Combined, these factors highlight how elevated costs now represent structural rather than cyclical challenges.

Tariff exposure follows a similarly uneven pattern. It is a leading motivator for relocating supply chains among corporates in Asia-Pacific (46 per cent) and Latin America (44 per cent), yet it barely registers in North America, cited by just 2 per cent of respondents – a reminder of how differently this environment is being felt across regions.

Interest in digital tools to support working capital performance is also rising. Nearly half of corporates said they are evaluating distributed ledger technology and blockchain solutions, and the share using AI in trade operations has nearly tripled, from 16 per cent in 2024 to 45 per cent today.

"There's a tendency to read every shock as evidence that globalisation is going into reverse," Cestari said. "The report tells a more nuanced story. Trade, investment and payments flows are still growing, just through different markets and corridors than they did a decade ago. Companies are adapting to that reality while looking for ways to operate more efficiently amid ongoing uncertainty and make better use of their liquidity."

Taken together, the findings suggest that the next stage of supply chain decision-making will be shaped as much by treasury priorities as operational ones, with companies strengthening cash flow and doubling down on resilience.

The report draws on Citi's proprietary payments network data, spanning tens of thousands of corporate clients across every major region, together with Citi's own mid-year survey of more than 700 large corporates and 150 suppliers alongside economic analysis from Citi Research.

Citi raises Vietnam’s 2026 GDP forecast to 8 per cent Citi Research has raised its forecast for Vietnam’s full-year GDP growth in 2026 to around 8 per cent, according to its latest report.

Citi releases 2025 Sustainability Report Citi has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, outlining progress on the bank’s longstanding sustainability goals and commitments.

Citi Foundation launches fourth Global Innovation Challenge The Citi Foundation has launched its fourth Global Innovation Challenge to help equip young people with skills for an economy increasingly shaped by AI.

At a seminar on the listing roadmap for foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in Vietnam on September 17, Hoang Van Thu, vice chairman of the State Securities Commission (SSC), outlined the authority's direction for improving capital market quality, highlighting policies to encourage greater FIE participation that would broaden the market's capacity to attract both domestic and foreign investment flows.

He said that as Vietnam sets ambitious growth targets, the economy will require substantial resources for development investment in the coming years. According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), total social investment capital during 2026–2030 is expected to reach around VND38.5 quadrillion ($1.5 trillion), averaging VND7.7 quadrillion ($301 billion) per year, more than double the amount recorded during 2021–2025.

"Such a large capital requirement means the capital market should go beyond its role as a funding channel and develop into a modern ecosystem capable of effectively mobilising and allocating social resources, strengthening economic resilience, and laying the foundation for long-term growth," he said.

Under this direction, the stock market will continue to be developed towards greater openness and transparency, while expanding its scale and depth and improving its effectiveness in mobilising medium- and long-term capital for businesses and the economy.

"Expanding the participation of FIEs is also part of the broader effort to mobilise resources from the private sector, the foreign-invested sector and international financial institutions for national development," added Thu.

According to the MoF, in 2025, total newly registered, adjusted, and contributed capital, together with capital raised through share and capital contribution purchases, exceeded $38.4 billion. Disbursed foreign direct investment (FDI) reached more than $27.6 billion, up 9 per cent from 2024.

By the end of August, total registered FDI had reached $40.63 billion, up 55.4 per cent on year. Disbursed capital stood at $17.25 billion, up 12 per cent, the highest level recorded for the same period in five years. Newly registered capital surged 96.8 per cent, while the value of capital contributions and share purchases rose 50.1 per cent.

"These figures highlight the continued importance of foreign investment to economic development. However, despite the growing scale of funding from abroad, the presence of FIEs on Vietnam’s stock market remains relatively limited," explained Thu.

Since Vietnam’s stock market began operating, only 11 FIEs have converted their operations to list or register for trading, mainly between 2003 and 2017, according to the SSC. Four of these companies have subsequently left the market after suffering business losses.

“The number of FIEs currently listed or registered for trading on Vietnam’s stock market is quite small, with only around 10 firms out of more than 1,600,” Thu said.

The scale of FIEs also remains modest. By the end of 2025, the combined charter capital of the 10 companies was around VND12 trillion ($470 million), while their total assets stood at approximately VND44 trillion ($1.7 billion), equivalent to only about 0.15 per cent of the entire market.

“This is a fairly modest figure,” Thu said, expressing his expectation that, alongside changes to policies, the domestic stock market would attract more FIEs in the coming period.

"The current approach is to facilitate access to the capital and stock markets for FIEs on the same basis as domestic enterprises," he explained. "The foreign-invested economy is regarded as an important component of the national economy and is encouraged to develop over the long term, with equal treatment alongside other economic sectors in accordance with the law."

Alongside efforts to attract FIEs, the legal framework for the stock market is being further improved to enhance market access, simplify procedures and reduce costs for businesses and investors.

In September 2025, the government issued Decree No.245/2025/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of provisions of Decree No.155/2020/ND-CP. The new regulations helped strengthen the legal framework, simplify administrative procedures, link initial public offerings with listing, improve rules on foreign ownership limits and corporate governance, and gradually align regulations with international standards and practices.

The MoF issued Circular No.08/2026/TT-BTC last February, amending and supplementing several circulars governing the securities sector. Under the new rules, foreign investors can place trading orders through global brokerage firms without having to open trading accounts at domestic securities companies. The provision reduces procedures, time, and costs, particularly for large investment funds working with global brokerage organisations.

Another step highlighted by Thu is the continued revision of the Law on Securities this year. "The Law on Securities will continue to be updated and amended in a direction that reduces business conditions and administrative procedures, while improving efficiency and saving costs for businesses," he said.

Going forward, the authorities will continue to improve the institutional framework and investment and business environment, while reviewing and expanding market access for foreign investors in line with an appropriate roadmap, ensuring openness, transparency, and non-discrimination.

They will also continue to refine FDI policies, strengthen corporate governance and information transparency, and encourage foreign capital to be invested on a long-term, stable, and responsible basis.

Thu expects FIEs planning to maintain and expand their manufacturing and business operations in Vietnam over the long term to take a more proactive approach to accessing capital mobilisation tools available on the stock market, including share and bond issuance.

"On the regulator's side, we will continue to strengthen dialogue and work alongside businesses and market participants, creating new advantages for capital mobilisation through the stock market in compliance with the law," Thu said.

Under the Comprehensive Reform Plan for Vietnam's Financial Market, the authorities aim for capital mobilisation through the capital market to average VND2 quadrillion ($78 billion) per year before the end of the decade. The plan aims for foreign investors' holdings in Vietnam's capital and stock markets to reach around 15 per cent of GDP by 2030.

SSI and Virtu launch Global Broker trading model in Vietnam SSI Securities Corporation and Virtu have marked a milestone in the implementation of the Global Broker trading model in Vietnam, signalling a new step forward in the development of market connectivity mechanisms for international institutional investors.

Capital mobilisation essential for Vietnam's growth targets Vietnam needs a more balanced financial system that reduces reliance on bank lending while strengthening capital markets to finance long-term investment, government officials said at a conference in Hanoi.

Vietnam’s fund industry seeks stronger growth momentum The State Securities Commission held the Smart Investment in the Digital Era conference in Hanoi on August 25, highlighting the need to boost fund investment, encourage longer-term investment strategies and develop a more balanced investor base.

The MoU was signed on September 17 and establishes a framework for cooperation in research and development, with the Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI) and Technip Energies set to collaborate on research, consultancy, and engineering activities ranging from feasibility studies and Front-End Engineering Design to project management, operations, and maintenance consultancy.

Key areas of cooperation include carbon capture, utilisation, and storage; hydrogen and ammonia; gas monetisation and liquefied natural gas (LNG) value chain development; optimisation of offshore exploration and production; refining and petrochemical integration; digital transformation; and advanced engineering solutions.

Under the MoU, VPI and Technip Energies will collaborate on research, consultancy, and engineering activities, from feasibility studies, Front-End Engineering Design, and detailed engineering to project management, operations, and maintenance consultancy. Key areas of cooperation include carbon capture, utilisation, and storage; hydrogen and ammonia; gas monetisation and LNG value chain development; optimisation of offshore exploration and production; refining and petrochemical integration; digital transformation; and advanced engineering solutions.

During the meeting, VPI and Technip Energies exchanged experience in implementing decarbonisation projects and discussed potential cooperation in research, technical consultancy, and project development in Vietnam, particularly in clean energy, CCUS, hydrogen, LNG, and technology solutions supporting the energy transition.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nguyen Van Tu, general director of VPI, explained the importance of the partnership. "Vietnam and Petrovietnam are accelerating research and development, science and technology applications, and technology transfer to support the sustainable development of the energy industry," he said. "Both parties will prioritise resources for high-potential, highly feasible projects, including offshore developments, integrated energy projects, and emerging technology areas of strategic interest to Vietnam."

Highlighting Vietnam as an important market for Technip Energies, Basil Theckumpurath, managing director of Genesis Energies Malaysia, a business unit of Technip Energies, said, "The signing of this MoU provides a foundation for strengthening joint research, technology transfer, and the development of potential projects in the coming years. We hope to work closely with VPI and Petrovietnam to support the energy transition, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate the deployment of advanced technology solutions that contribute to sustainable development."

Hyundai E&C and Technip join bids for Dung Quat refinery expansion Binh Son Refinery (BSR) has received bids for a $1.8 billion upgrade and expansion project from two consortiums led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Technip Italy.

TotalEnergies ENEOS Completes Rooftop Solar Project with TechnipFMC in Malaysia A greener skyline shines in Malaysia as two energy giants team up on solar power.

Technip Energies awarded contract for Long Son Petrochemicals enhancement project On April 9, French engineering technology firm Technip Energies was awarded a contract by Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. for its Long Son Petrochemicals Enhancement project in Vietnam.

As increasingly complex AI models place greater demands on GPU memory and drive up infrastructure costs, TRUSTA is highlighting its award-winning AI Scaler Extended Memory Solution under the theme "Scale AI Beyond GPU Limits." The integrated hardware-software architecture enables enterprises to deploy on-premises AI with greater scalability and cost efficiency. TRUSTA is also presenting its TD7P51 ECO PCIe Gen5 enterprise SSD and DDR5 R-DIMM, demonstrating a comprehensive portfolio built for next-generation AI infrastructure.

AI Scaler Extended Memory Solution: Breaking GPU Memory Barriers

As generative AI and large language models (LLMs) continue to advance, limited GPU memory capacity and the high cost of GPU expansion are creating significant barriers to enterprise AI adoption. The TRUSTA AI Scaler Extended Memory Solution addresses these challenges through a hybrid memory architecture that extends AI workloads beyond the constraints of GPU memory.

Powered by the AI Scaler Toolkit, the solution integrates GPU memory, DRAM, and SSD resources to optimize memory and storage utilization for different AI workloads, enabling larger AI models to run on systems with limited GPU memory. For AI inference and fine-tuning, this approach can reduce deployment costs by more than 50% compared with GPU-only architectures, offering enterprises a more accessible path to scalable on-premises AI. The free and open-source AI Scaler Toolkit supports mainstream model families including Llama, Qwen, Mistral, GPT-OSS, DeepSeek, Phi, and Gemma, while integrating with AI Agents such as OpenClaw, NemoClaw, and Hermes Agentic. This broad compatibility gives enterprises and developers greater flexibility to optimize resources across diverse use cases and Agentic AI workflows. The solution was also recognized with the COMPUTEX 2026 Best Choice Award, underscoring TRUSTA's innovative approach to hardware-software integration for enterprise AI.

Enterprise Memory and Storage for Next-Gen AI

Complementing AI Scaler Extended Memory Solution, TRUSTA will also showcase the TD7P51 ECO PCIe Gen5 enterprise SSD and DDR5 R-DIMM. Expanding the company's Gen5 portfolio, the TD7P51 ECO offers capacities of up to 15.36TB across U.2, E1.S, and E3.S form factors. Featuring Flexible Data Placement (FDP) technology, it improves performance consistency and operational efficiency through intelligent data placement. Validated on leading global server platforms, the TD7P51 ECO delivers the performance, reliability, and scalability required for demanding AI and data center workloads.

TRUSTA DDR5 R-DIMM delivers speeds of up to 6,400MT/s and capacities ranging from 32GB to 128GB, providing high-capacity, high-bandwidth memory for AI computing, virtualization, HPC, and data center applications.

Together, these solutions empower enterprises to scale AI beyond GPU limits with greater flexibility and cost efficiency.

Exhibition Information

• Event: AI Infra Summit 2026
• Date: September 15–17, 2026
• Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center, California, USA
• Booth#: 941

Oracle database costs and support pressures continue to climb, and Postgres is becoming an increasingly important destination for organizations seeking greater flexibility and control. According to the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 55.6% of developers reported using Postgres, more than any other database. Spinnaker's PostgreSQL offerings give customers a way to begin modernizing selected workloads, expand future flexibility, and reduce Oracle database dependency without disrupting the critical systems their business still depends on.

"Organizations want greater flexibility as they modernize their database environments, but they should not have to sacrifice enterprise-grade assurance or trade one proprietary dependency for another," said Matt Stava, CEO of Spinnaker Support. "Our new PostgreSQL offerings give customers a trusted, lower-risk path to standard, non-proprietary PostgreSQL, backed by 24×7 mission-critical support, security guidance, and deep technical expertise. This is an important step in expanding the Spinnaker OpenPath™ framework and strengthens our ability to support customers across their existing technology environments, modernization initiatives, and emerging AI workloads."

The announcement includes two primary offerings, along with continued development of an enterprise distribution for PostgreSQL:

• Enterprise Software Support for PostgreSQL – Delivers 24×7 enterprise software support for standard PostgreSQL and vetted open-source components across on-premises, virtualized, containerized, and cloud environments including break/fix support, troubleshooting, security guidance, performance and configuration support, and lifecycle guidance.
• Assessment and Migration Services for PostgreSQL, powered by HexaCluster – Helps organizations evaluate workload fit, analyze Oracle database dependencies, automate and accelerate conversion where appropriate, validate production readiness, and execute controlled cutovers with rollback planning.

The service uses HexaRocket, HexaCluster's migration, data movement, and replication technology, to help accelerate and reduce risk in Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations. HexaCluster brings database modernization expertise and contributes technology across the PostgreSQL ecosystem.

Spinnaker also confirmed that it is developing an enterprise distribution for PostgreSQL that is not yet generally available and is being built around standard PostgreSQL and vetted open-source components. The goal is to give customers a more curated, enterprise-ready PostgreSQL destination while maintaining long-term portability, architectural control, and freedom from proprietary forks or closed compatibility layers.

Unlike providers that address only one stage of the transition, Spinnaker is positioned to support the Oracle database environment customers run today, help them assess the right PostgreSQL path workload by workload, and provide accountable support for the PostgreSQL environments they operate next.

What Enterprises Gain

• Lower-risk migration: Move critical Oracle database workloads to PostgreSQL through a controlled, workload-by-workload approach.
• Greater financial flexibility: Redirect resources from proprietary database costs toward modernization and innovation.
• End-to-end technical continuity: Bridge the journey from initial assessment and migration through production readiness and 24×7 PostgreSQL support.
• Enterprise security and compliance support: Strengthen PostgreSQL environments with security guidance, vulnerability analysis, hardening recommendations, and compensating controls.
• Accountable service levels: Gain responsive, enterprise-grade support backed by defined SLAs and experienced PostgreSQL specialists.

Spinnaker also announced the promotion of Martin Biggs to vice president and general manager, PostgreSQL Practice. In this role, Biggs will lead the teams supporting Spinnaker's PostgreSQL offerings, including Enterprise Software Support for PostgreSQL, Assessment and Migration Services for PostgreSQL, and the development of Spinnaker's enterprise distribution for PostgreSQL.

"In conversations with some of the world's largest and most complex Oracle database users, we continue to hear the same thing: organizations want the freedom, control, and modernization potential of Postgres, but they need a partner that can help them move responsibly," said Martin Biggs, "What makes Spinnaker different is that we can support the Oracle database environment customers run today, help define the right path forward, and support the PostgreSQL destination without forcing a premature decision or a new form of lock-in."

Spinnaker's PostgreSQL offerings align with the same Run, Optimize, Transform structure the company applies across Oracle, SAP, JD Edwards, and VMware. Together, these capabilities help organizations reduce vendor dependency, expand choice, and build a more flexible path to long-term modernization. Learn more about Spinnaker's PostgreSQL offerings.

For more information: www.spinnakersupport.com.