Easier LDR Rules Will Not Lift Bank Profits Overnight
A new LDR calculation gives state-owned commercial banks more balance-sheet room. Turning that room into profit still requires credit demand, funding costs and asset quality to move in the right direction.
KBC’s 170 hectares await handover before profit
KBC has signed contracts for more than 170 hectares, but the land cannot become revenue until handover is complete. Its second-quarter results show the cost of that waiting period in both profit and cash flow.
VN-Index Holds 1,700, but Breadth Is Unconfirmed
The VN-Index slipped only 0.51% on July 31, yet declining stocks substantially outnumbered gainers. For new investors, the board tells a fuller story than the headline index level.
Record Revenue, Vietnam Airlines Still Reports a Loss
Vietnam Airlines' second quarter shows why selling more tickets does not automatically mean retaining more profit. Cost of sales rose faster than revenue, sharply narrowing gross margin.
BSR: Deposits Are a Buffer, Refining Is the Engine
More than VND 53,000 billion in deposits is striking, but it is not a complete explanation for BSR's earnings. Refining margins remain the clearest measure of earnings quality.
Apple hands over a strong quarter, not a full answer
Apple's strongest June quarter put the iPhone back at the center of growth. Services momentum and a tariff refund, however, make the quality of earnings more nuanced.
US GDP Slows, but Fed Rate Cuts Are Still Distant
US growth cooled in the second quarter, yet domestic demand and inflation still leave the Federal Reserve with a difficult choice. A softer GDP number does not automatically clear the way for lower rates.
Overnight Rates Fall, Borrowing Costs Lag
Vietnam's overnight interbank rate fell to 2.5% a year, while the one-month rate remained at 7.3%. The gap signals easier immediate liquidity, not yet a broad decline in longer-term funding costs.
VN-Index Gains 40 Points: Breadth Is the Real Test
The July 30 advance reached 287 stocks and came with stronger turnover, showing that buying interest extended beyond a handful of index heavyweights. The next session will show whether that demand can absorb profit-taking.
FRT Hits Its Ceiling: Store Count Is Not Long Châu's Test
FRT's limit-up session has put Long Châu back in focus. But for a pharmacy chain, outlet count is only the starting point, not the answer.
Microsoft Spends $41 Billion: Cash Flow Is the Test
Microsoft's profits rose even as it spent heavily on AI infrastructure. The gap between accounting profit and cash generation is the real test of this investment cycle.
The Fed held rates, but Wall Street stayed under pressure
A rate hold does not mean cheaper capital is around the corner. Three dissenting votes, rising long-term yields and an oil shock reset the valuation test for equities.