Journalist China
News Digest: July 11, 2012 报摘： 2012年7月11日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 11. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) New iPad Arrives in China on Friday, July 20 (Businesswire)
- Tudou (Nasdaq: TUDO) Says COO Resigns, Youku (NYSE: YOKU) Merger Going Smoothly (English article)
- Huawei Eyes Management Deals with Etisalat, Saudi Telecom (English article)
- Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) Expands into Canada (PRNewswire)
- Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Chairman: Price Wars Will Speed Up Industry Reshuffle (Chinese article)
Denny’s Takes a Bite of China 丹尼餐厅进军中国市场
I was pleasantly surprised today to read that Denny’s (Nasdaq: DENN), one of my favorite US diner chains, is testing the Asia market with plans to open restaurants in China, part of a broader move that is seeing mid-sized restaurant chains pile into the market in a bid to copy the success of top names like KFC (NYSE: YUM) and McDonalds (NYSE: MCD). I also like the fact that Denny’s, known for its 24-hour breakfast menu, is taking a go-slow approach to China, with plans to open a modest 50 stores in the country over the next 15 years through a joint venture with local partner Great China International Group. (company announcement)
China Powers Up Aviation Drive With Hawker Bid 中国航空业迈向国际化
The recent expansion by Chinese aviation firms into international airspace is powering ahead with word of 2 more global deals, including a new aircraft parts joint venture involving Air China (HKEx: 753; Shanghai: 601111) and an even more intriguing bid for bankrupt business jet maker Hawker Beechcraft by a Chinese buyer. Both of these deals are just the latest in a series of outward moves by China’s aviation industry, a largely inwardly looking group which I suspect has come under recent pressure from Beijing to become more global.
Tencent-Activision: Finally a Good Match 腾讯竞购动视暴雪
Just a week after leading Internet company Tencent (HKEx: 700) announced a strategic tie-up with top US game developer Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), we’re hearing that this pairing could become a true marriage as Activision’s debt-heavy parent looks to sell the company. After several previous M&A attempts by Tencent that didn’t look too smart to me, I can honestly say that this latest pursuit would be one that I like, and I’ll explain my reasons in a moment.
News Digest: July 10, 2012 报摘： 2012年7月10日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 10. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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◙ Hawker Beechcraft in Talks With Chinese Company for Sale (English article)
◙ Bankers Approach Tencent (HKEx: 700), Others on Activision (Nasdaq: ATVI) Sale (English article)
◙ Youku (NYSE: YOKU) Premium Enters into Licensing Agreement with NBCUniversal (PRNewswire)
◙ Denny’s (Nasdaq: DENN) Expanding Global Franchising Presence to China (Businesswire)
◙ Camelot Information (NYSE: CIS) In JV with Wuhan Iron and Steel Engineering Group (PRNewswire)
Sinopec’s China Gas Pursuit Gets Stranger 中石化并购中国燃气案越来越奇怪
When the history books are written, the ongoing pursuit of privately owned natural gas distributor China Gas (HKEx: 384) by state-owned oil giant Sinopec (HKEx: 386; Shanghai: 600028; NYSE: SNP) could well be remembered as one of the strangest cases of M&A in recent memory, marked by a series of cryptic moves by Sinopec including its latest public announcement in the case.
ICBC Enters Insurance, US 工行开疆辟土：进军美国 涉足保险
China’s top bank ICBC (HKEx: 1398; Shanghai: 601398) is making more smart moves in its drive to look more like a commercial lender, consummating previously announced deals that should provide good starting points to develop new business areas with big potential. The first of those has seen the bank close its acquisition of a mid-sized US lender, paving the way for it to enter that important market; while the second has seen ICBC close its purchase of a controlling stake in a China-based insurance joint venture, setting the stage for it to enter a sector with big potential in its drive to become a more fully-diversified lender.
China: Land of Apple Hunters 苹果在中国又吃官司
Last week’s settlement of a high-profile trademark dispute that appeared to mark a victory for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has apparently done little to discourage others from pursuing the US tech giant in court, with 2 new cases making the headlines just days after announcement of an end to the original dispute. My only possible explanation for the strange timing in the announcement of these new cases is that perhaps the 2 plaintiffs saw that Apple agreed to pay $60 million for rights to the iPad name in China to a bankrupt company named Proview, and now think that they can perhaps get similar settlements in their own cases.
Carlyle, Home Inns Drive Hotel Consolidation 酒店业整合加速：如家快捷和凯雷投资的并购
Consolidation is accelerating the budget hotel space with new acquisitions by industry leader Home Inns (Nasdaq: HMIN) and private equity giant Carlyle (Nasdaq: CG), as China’s top operators look for ways to maintain their growth going amid a slowing market. This growing string of smaller deals is building up to the big story that’s likely to come in the next 2 years, when we could see a Chinese player make a global acquisition or one of the big foreign operators buy up a Chinese brand.
Weak Market Halts Jingdong Mall IPO 市场气氛冷淡冲击京东商城IPO计划
Weak investor sentiment towards overseas-listed Chinese Internet companies has claimed a major new victim in Jingdong Mall, China’s second largest e-commerce firm, which has reportedly put the brakes on a planned IPO even as it appears to be running low on cash. This new development is just the latest surprise in a tale that’s been full of mixed signals and non-stop surprises surrounding this fast-growing but money-losing company also known to many as 360Buy. It also bodes poorly for market for Chinese companies aiming to list overseas for the rest of the year, including an upcoming offering by online entertainment firm Shanda for its literature unit, Shanda Cloudary.
