A couple of new items from the battered solar sector hint that the situation may be improving for the largest companies, even as smaller players continue to struggle and face the very real danger of collapse. Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that I’ve predicted a rebound for this embattled sector once or twice before based on optimistic company statements, and in each instance the rebound I was sensing never came. This time the difference could be that many smaller players have now closed or are tottering on the brink of insolvency, meaning they are losing share to the larger, relatively healthier players with more resources.
News Digest: February 23-25 报摘：2013年2月23-25日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on February 23-25. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Tencent (HKEx: 700) To Release WeChat Voice Shopping Feature (English article)
- Yingli (NYSE: YGE) Announces Preliminary Results For Q4 and Full Year 2012 (PRNewswire)
- China’s Chaori Solar (Shenzhen: 002506) Warns of Possible Bond Payment Default (English article)
- Gome (HKEx: 473) Calls Talk Of Sale to Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) Pure Rumors (Chinese article)
- Sany’s Ralls Affiliate Allowed to Seek Explanation for Windfarm Decision (English article)
- Latest calendar for Q3 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)
Suning Joins Reorganization Crowd 苏宁重组以赢得投资者信心
I recently wrote that 2013 could well become the year of the reorganization for China’s vibrant Internet sector, as many of the nation’s top companies look to make their increasingly complex operations more efficient. (previous post) Now another major player has joined this growing trend with the announcement of yet another major overhaul by Suning (Shenzhen: 002024), operator of one of China’s top e-commerce sites. The Suning announcement follows similar moves by just about every one of China’s Internet sector leaders, including online game and SNS giant Tencent (HKEx: 700), dominant search engine Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), e-commerce leader Alibaba and top portal operator Sina (Nasdaq: SINA).
Vipshop Posts Profit, Enters $1 Bln Club 唯品会公布利润，进入10亿美元级俱乐部
Online discount retailer Vipshop (NYSE: VIPS) emerged as one of China’s most remarkable turnaround stories in 2012, as its shares rallied sharply in the second half of the year after a miserable IPO. Now the company is passing more new milestones, reporting its first-ever profit in the fourth-quarter of 2012 and also entering the relatively small club of Chinese Internet firms that can boast of market values of $1 billion or more. The company has also solidified its position as China’s most valuable publicly traded e-commerce firm, after taking the title from older rival Dangdang (NYSE: DANG) last fall.
News Digest: February 22 报摘：2013年2月22日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on February 22. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Vipshop (NYSE: VIPS) Reports Q4 and Full Year 2012 Financial Results (PRNewswire)
- Court To Hear Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) Case against Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) (English article)
- EU And China Stumble Towards Solar Trade War (English article)
- China Mobile (HKEx: 941) 4G Network To Reach 100 Cities This Year (Chinese article)
- Suning (Shenzhen: 002024) Announces New Company Structure (English article)
Shanghai Street View: Airport Entertainment 沪经动向：机场娱乐
As a frequent traveler in Greater China, I’ll openly admit that Hong Kong is my favorite airport in the region, boasting an interesting array of shops and restaurants and convenient layout that makes it easy to find things and get to flights. But on the mainland, Shanghai is easily my favorite flying destination, thanks to its well-run Hongqiao Airport focused on domestic flights, and the more international airport in Pudong. Both airports are easy to get to, offer fast check-in and security screening, and a wide array of amenities that are both convenient and useful.
China’s Smartphone Crown: Who Cares? 看待中国称冠智能手机市场不要太认真
I’m feeling a bit cranky and contrarian today, so I’m going to be somewhat bold and give the following response to yet the latest headlines trumpeting China’s passing the US to become the world’s largest smartphone market: Who cares? I’ll admit that my response to this development is perhaps a bit unfair, since China’s attainment of the world’s smartphone title is certainly an important milestone for a country where even traditional wired telephone service was still rare as recently as 20 years ago.
China Mobile Stabilizes, Set For Growth 中国移动3G市场份额持稳 蛇年或恢复增长
New subscriber data for China’s 3 major telcos has just come out for January, so it seems like a good time to take a look at what’s ahead this year as Beijing gets set to issue 4G licenses that will usher in a new era for the sector. Based on the data and other recent developments, it does indeed look like industry leader China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL) could finally return to a growth track in the Year of the Snake after years of stagnation as it struggled under its own massive weight. That prediction comes at least partly from the latest industry data, that shows China Mobile’s share in the important 3G market has finally stabilized after it lost steady share over the last 2 years to more aggressive rivals China Telecom (HKEx: 728; NYSE: CHA) and China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU).
News Digest: February 21 报摘：2013年2月21日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on February 20. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- China Telcos Announce January 2013 Subscriber Totals (English article)
- Jingdong Mall to Foster Development of “Born on 360Buy” Brands (English article)
- ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) Announces 3 Deals With PetroChina (HKEx: 857) (Businesswire)
- Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Names Co-Founder James Liang As New CEO (PRNewswire)
- Foxconn (HKEx: 2038) Halts Hiring In Inland Factories Amid Weak iPhone Demand (Chinese article)
Village Roadshow Travels To China 威秀登陆中国电影市场
A new announcement from US movie producer Village Roadshow is once again casting a spotlight on the growing love affair between Hollywood and China, which is showing no signs of slowing as the relationship celebrates its first anniversary. The announcement also highlights the huge potential of China’s box-office, whose rapid growth is being partly fueled by relaxation of rules that are suddenly allowing a lot more foreign-produced and funded movies into China. The Village Roadshow announcement also reflects the growing influence in China of locally made movies, which can do quite well by combining Hollywood skills with movie makers more familiar with Chinese tastes.
Critique Lands Lee Kai-Fu In Trouble 李开复因评论惹麻烦
