Video Sharing: Let the Tie-Ups Begin

Just a day after Tudou’s (Nasdaq: TUDO) disappointing IPO that saw its shares drop 12 percent on their trading debut (English article), there’s buzz in the market that Tudou’s top rival, industry leader Youku (NYSE: YOKU) is in talks for an equity investment by Chinese Internet leader Tencent (HKEx: 700). (English article; Chinese article) Such a tie-up would bear a remarkable resemblance to Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) landmark purchase of global online video leader Youtube several years back, and testifies to the fact that online video is a much better business prospect when it has strong support from a company like Google or Tencent, which can use their wider array of services to steer traffic to these more specialized video sites. The development is also interesting because Tencent itself has already flagged video as a major focus area, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into a business it hopes will help to jump-start its sputtering growth. (previous post) If and when it happens, such a tie-up will give money-losing Youku, which already enjoys a market cap more than 4 times the size of Tudou, an even bigger advantage in the video-sharing market, providing the clout of China’s top online game and instant messaging service provider. Such a move could leave Tudou, whose chairman Gary Wang has little or no interest in similar tie-ups, no choice but to find its own partner. Rumors of such a tie-up were already rife in the run-up to Tudou’s IPO, with talk that it was seeking investment from leading online search site Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), which no doubt would still be interested in such a tie-up. (previous post) Other video sharing sites like Xunlei, which had to abort a planned IPO last month as market sentiment tanked (previous post), could also be forced to search for new tie-up partners if a Youku-Tencent alliance takes shape.

Bottom line: An equity tie-up between Youku and Tencent would throw a new dynamic into the video sharing market, forcing other players to seek similar tie-ups.

Related postings 相关文章:

Youku, TCL Discover Hollywood in New Tie-Ups 优酷、TCL双双联手好莱坞大品牌

Tencent and Alibaba: It’s Not Easy Being Big 腾讯和阿里巴巴:想当老大不容易

◙  Tudou IPO Set to Stumble Out of the Gate 土豆上市首日难有精彩表现

Xiu.com Funding Puts Glamor in Online Fashion 服饰类网站前景看好

Intensifying competition will mean a tough road ahead for broader e-commerce in China, but one area that still looks attractive is apparel, as reflected by a nifty $100 million in new funding for online fashion house Xiu.com. (English article) The tidy amount follows a smaller $20 million funding in March, and this latest round includes such venture capital giants as Warburg Pincus and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The funding comes less than a month after online footwear seller Yougou.com received a rumored $450 million in funding from a group that included online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) (previous post), and as another leading online apparel seller, Vancl, gears up for an IPO that should be one of the hottest China offerings in the second half of the year. Apparel is also one of the best selling areas for Alibaba’s Taobao Mall, testifying to the strength of this product category that enjoys strong demand and is relatively less competitive due to higher barriers of entry. By comparison, more general merchandise e-commerce firms like Dang Dang (NYSE: DANG), 360Buy and Wal-Mart-backed (NYSE: WMT) Yihaodian seem to be locked in an increasingly bloody battle where marketing and distribution costs are markedly higher due to the broader array of products and customers they cater to. Of course, it may only be a matter of time before apparel makers get caught up in their own bloody battle for market share. But unlike general merchandise, these companies can more easily find their own niches due to the wide variety of clothing available, which may buffer them somewhat from cutthroat competition. Either way, the group certainly looks like a strong bet for now, and I would expect Vancl to see strong demand when it finally moves ahead with its IPO after broader market sentiment improves.

Bottom line: A new $100 million funding round for Xiu.com testifies to the strength of online apparel, and bodes well for Vancl’s upcoming IPO.

竞争加剧意味着中国电子商务业前路难一帆风顺,但服饰类领域看似仍具吸引力,时尚购物网走秀网(xiu.com)新一轮融资1亿美元就是例证。走秀网今年3月曾获2,000万美元投资,而本次又获美国华平投资集团(Warburg Pincus)和Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers等风投巨头投资。不到一个月前,鞋类销售网优购网(Yougou.com)据传获得4.5亿美元融资,投资方包括网络搜索巨头百度<BIDU.O>。凡客诚品正在准备首次公开募股(IPO),有望成为下半年最热门的中国上市企业。服饰也是淘宝商城最热销的领域之一,证明此类产品需求强劲,由於进入门槛较高,竞争相对没有那麽激烈。相比之下,销售日用百货的电子商务企业当当网<DANG.N>、京东商城沃尔玛<WMT.N>投资的1号店似乎陷入激战,由於其产品和消费者范围更广,市场营销和渠道成本也明显更高。当然,服饰类企业激烈争夺市场份额或许也只是早晚的事情。但与一般商品不同,服饰类选择众多,企业更容易找到其小众定位,为其竞争提供了缓冲空间。目前看来,服饰类电子商务前景光明,我认为,市场情绪提振後,当凡客诚品最终进行IPO时,有望获得积极认购。

一句话:走秀网新一轮融资1亿美元证明,网络服饰销售颇具潜力,对凡客诚品即将IPO也是吉兆。

Related postings 相关文章:

Belle, Baidu See Beauty in Online Shoe Store 百度和百丽投资优购网或为明智之举

360Buy — More Details But Still Pricey 京东商城值多少?

Wal-Mart Buys Into China E-Commerce 沃尔玛进军中国电子商务

News Digest: August 18, 2011

The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 18. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

◙ Week’s lone IPO, China’s Tudou (Nasdaq: TUDO), tumbles in debut (English article)

◙ Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Reports Q2 Financial Results (PRNewswire)

◙ E-House (NYSE: EJ) Reports Q2 Results (PRNewswire)

◙ Tencent (HKEx: 700) to Invest in Youku (NYSE: YOKU) – Source (English article)

◙ Fashion B2C Xiu.com Secures USD 100 Mln Second-Round (English article)

SMIC Makes the Right Move With New CEO 中芯国际终於明智换帅

After a tumultuous few months that saw its shares lose half their value amid an internal power struggle, leading Chinese microchip maker SMIC (HKEx: 981; NYSE: SMI) has finally made a smart move by naming an apparently capable outsider as its new CEO (company announcement). The appointment was followed just days later by another announcement of the resignation of a troublesome COO who started the chaos by using Cultural Revolution-style tactics to force out a perfectly capable CEO as he tried to pursue the top position for himself. I have to congratulate SMIC’s major shareholder Datang for finally doing the right thing by getting rid of the former COO, Simon Yang (Yang Shining), who earlier convinced Datang to oust previous CEO David Wang, whose only “fault” was managing to return SMIC to profitability after four years of continuous losses. Datang was probably irked when it realized its mistake in ousting Wang, and was also probably upset when its investment lost half of its market value due to the ill conceived decision. New CEO Tzu-Yin Chiu’s arrival at SMIC from the top position at crosstown rival Huahong NEC means a possible merger between these two companies — rumored for years — could finally move forward as their stakeholders seek to create the world’s a new major chip maker that can compete more effectively with Taiwanese leaders TSMC (Taipei: 2330) and UMC (Taipei: 2303). I would look for a rebound in SMIC’s battered shares in the weeks ahead as markets grow more confident that the power struggle is truly over, and then wouldn’t be surprised to see SMIC continue its slow but steady rise that began under Wang’s leadership more than a year ago. We could even see the long-awaited merger with Huahong NEC in the next year, as both Chiu and SMIC’s recently named new Chairman Zhang Wenyi both have strong ties to the company.

Bottom line: The naming of a competent new CEO and departure of a troublesome COO will help to gradually restore investor confidence in SMIC.

中芯国际<0981.HK><SMI.N>近几个月因内部权力之争导致其股票缩水一半,该公司最终作出明智决定,任命邱慈云为其首席执行官(CEO)。几天后,中芯国际首席运营官(COO)杨士宁辞职。杨士宁曾使用计谋迫使前CEO王宁国辞职,试图自己夺得这一职位,中芯国际管理层随後陷入混乱。我要祝贺中芯国际大股东大唐终於做出正确决策,令杨士宁出局。杨士宁此前曾说服大唐赶走王宁国,而王宁国的唯一“错误”是,在中芯国际连续四年亏损後,设法使公司扭亏为盈。当大唐意识到不应辞掉王宁国後,可能会感到懊恼,而因为这个考虑欠妥的决定,导致其投资市值损失一半时,大唐或许还感到很沮丧。邱慈云从华虹NEC来到中芯国际,意味着两家公司合并或最终有望推进,这一传言已持续多年。其股东希望借此创建全球新的大型芯片制造商,从而更有效地与台积电<2330.TW>和台湾联华电子<UMC.N>竞争。我预计,由於中芯国际权力之争最终尘埃落定,市场信心将逐渐恢复,未来几周公司股价有望反弹,届时,中芯国际继续缓慢稳步增长将不足为奇。华虹NEC和中芯国际甚至有望明年合并,因邱慈云和中芯国际近期任命的主席张文义均与华虹NEC渊源颇深。

一句话:中芯国际COO杨士宁离职,邱慈云出任CEO,将有助於逐步恢复投资者信心。

Related postings 相关文章:

SMIC: Consolidation Ahead 中芯国际任命新高管 或有助於业内合并

SMIC Transition Begins, Instability Ahead 中芯国际高层大动荡 公司或将陷入混乱

SMIC Top Management in Throes of Power Struggle 中芯国际管理层陷入权力之争

Tudou IPO Set to Stumble Out of the Gate 土豆上市首日难有精彩表现

Note: To readers of my postings in English, I’d like to apologize for the original version of this article, which said the IPO would value Tudou at $3.2 billion. That figure was taken from a Financial Times article which, it turns out, vastly overstated Tudou’s market cap, which should have been $822 million. I’ve recast the posting slightly in light of that error and taken out the Financial Times link, but I do stand by my previous assessment that the IPO will be a dud on its debut.

I’m getting a bit weary of writing about video sharing site Tudou (Nasdaq: TUDO), which might consider changing its company description to “master of media manipulation” to reflect the way it has cleverly leaked a steady stream of rumors into the market to try and create buzz about its upcoming IPO. After a tumultuous week that saw rumors of at least 3 potential buyers for Tudou in the Chinese media (previous post), the company has finally gone ahead and priced its IPO in the middle of its indicated range, scuttling any potential for a last-minute buy-out of the company. Media are reporting that Tudou’s IPO pricing gives it a market cap of $822 million, about a third of that for rival Youku (NYSE: YOKU), whose shares doubled after its IPO late last year but have given back most of those gains since then. (English article; Chinese article) Youku’s shares actually fell 8 percent in Tuesday trade on Wall Street, reflecting investor disappointment that it wasn’t able to engineer a last-minute acquisition of Tudou that Tudou chairman Gary Wang was never really serious about to start with. I’m expecting Tudou’s shares to fall on their Wednesday trading debut, as the market I doubt there is much demand for this money-losing company that is a clear number-two in its sector to Youku, although its underwriters who should be commended for generating interest in the offering despite dismal market conditions. Once its price stabilizes, I’d look for Tudou, which lost $12 million in the second quarter, to quietly fade from the headlines and get back to the business of trying to turn profitable.

Bottom line: Tudou’s stock will falter on its trading debut, and will fail to attract much investor interest over the longer term.

关於视频分享网站–土豆网的文章,我都写得有点儿腻了。土豆网或许可以考虑把公司介绍变成“媒体操控大师”,因其巧妙地向市场放出一系列传言,为其即将到来的IPO造势。据中国媒体近期报导,至少有三个潜在买家有意购买土豆网。现在土豆网终於扬帆前行,将IPO价格定在预估区间的中间值,消除了被收购的可能。媒体报导称,据发行价计算,其市值将为8.22亿美元,约为竞争对手优酷网<YOKU.N>市值的三分之一。优酷网去年年底上市,股价曾上涨约一倍,但随後便回吐了多数增幅。优酷股价周二下挫8%,反映出投资者的失望情绪,因其未能收购土豆网,而土豆网董事长王微并不真心想进行此项交易。我预计土豆网股价在周三的首个交易日将下挫,因我怀疑市场是否对这家亏损企业有很大兴趣。土豆在视频分享领域位列第二,仅次于优酷。在目前市场人气低迷的情况下,承销商能为其IPO赢得足够的认购热情亦颇值得赞许。一旦其股价稳定,我预计那时的土豆网不再会受到媒体太多关注,而其将专心实现盈利。

一句话:土豆网股价将在首个交易日下挫,且在较长时间内投资者很难对其有较大兴趣。

Related postings 相关文章:

Tudou Name Tossed Around as IPO Looms IPO临近 土豆网新闻多

Baidu Seeks Diversification in Tudou Talks 百度求购土豆,寻求多元化

Tudou IPO Moves Forward Despite Headwinds 土豆网“逆风”上市

 

China Hotels: Is the Holiday Over?

7 Days (NYSE: SVN) has just reported its second-quarter results, becoming the last of China’s top 3 budget hotel operators to report on a landscape that looks like the holiday may be over for these former high-flyers. Among the trio, which also includes Home Inns (Nasdaq: HMIN) and Hanting hotels operator China Lodging Group (Nasdaq: HTHT), only 7 Days reported respectable revenue growth of 42 percent for the quarter, with China Lodging reporting 25 percent growth and Home Inns reporting 12 percent. But more worrisome, all 3 said they expect the growth rate to slow in the third quarter, and both Home Inns and China Lodging lowered their 2011 revenue outlook by about 16 percent. (7 Days results; Home Inn results; China Lodging results) It’s probably too soon to say the big-growth days are finished for the budget hotel sector, which expanded rapidly in the last 5 years as millions of newly mobile Chinese took to the roads for both business and leisure travel. All 3 companies saw especially strong growth in last year’s second and third quarters during the Shanghai Expo, and cited the “Expo effect” as partly responsible for this year’s slowdown as business returns to more normal levels. (previous post) Still, the fact that 2 of the 3 companies lowered their full-year guidance means the post-Expo slowdown is worse than expected, possibly due to Beijing’s ongoing efforts to try and slow its racing economy. Consolidation in the sector seems inevitable, with both Home Inns and 7 Days announcing recent acquisitions to improve their scale and performance. (previous post)  That said, a return to better growth for all 3 looks inevitable starting in the fourth quarter, when both Home Inns and 7 Days will start to include their acquisitions in their results and when the Expo hangover effect will finally be in the past.

Bottom line: China’s budget hotel operators will post weak results through the third quarter, but will return to more robust growth by year end as the Expo effect fades.

Related postings 相关文章:

Hotel Consolidation Moves Ahead With 7 Days Deal 七天连锁酒店收购表明酒店业整合继续

Home Inns Finds Room at Motel168 After All 如家最终收购莫泰168

Home Inns: Expo Hangover 如家进入平稳期

News Digest: August 17, 2011

The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 17. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

◙ IPO Values Chinese Site Tudou at $3.2bn (English article)

◙ Dangdang (NYSE: DANG) Announces Q2 2011 Results (PRNewswire)

◙ Nokia (Helsinki: NOK1V) China Sales Down 18.4 Pct Q/Q in Q2 – ABI Research (Businesswire)

◙ 7 Days Group (NYSE: SVN) Announces 2011 Q2 Financial Results (PRNewswire)

◙ Hilton Huanying Launches Today In 13 Countries (Businesswire)

Renesola Rights Plan: Consolidation Coming

The alternate energy sector’s current downturn may have bottomed, but signs of pain still linger, as reflected by the latest announcements from Renesola (NYSE: SOL), which may be bracing for hostile takeover attempts, and Yang Ming Wind Power (NYSE: MY), which reported anemic results and sharply reduced its full year outlook. In what looks like a first for the industry, Renesola has announced it will implement a shareholder rights issue plan, something companies do when they believe they could face a hostile takeover bid. (company announcement) Renesola added it knows of no imminent hostile takeover bids, but is rather seeking to protect its shareholders in case such a bid occurs. With a share price that has tumbled by more than two-thirds since March and a rock-bottom price-to-earnings ratio of 1.7, Renesola could indeed look like an attractive takeover target in an industry that is sorely in need of consolidation. Investors also seem to believe something may be in the works, with Renesola’s battered shares jumping more than 7 percent in Monday trade on Wall Street. Given such low valuations, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a buyout or two announced for Renesola or one of its other battered mid-sized competitors in the next few months. Meantime, Ming Yang has come out with its own weak results, and reduced its full year sales outlook by a hefty 20 percent. (company announcement) Even the lower full-year target looks difficult, with the company saying it hopes to sell 1.8 to 2 gigawatts worth of wind turbines in 2011, after selling only 0.7 gigawatts worth in the first half of the year. Its recent tie-up in China with the developer of the Three Gorges Dam project could put some wind back in its sails (previous post) in the second half of the year, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more downward revisions before the year is finished.

Bottom line: Renesola’s shareholder rights plan could signal a coming wave of consolidation in the solar sector, with mid-sized companies like Renesola as attractive buy-out targets.

Related postings 相关文章:

Solar Comeback Rising, Clouds Still Shadow Trina 光伏产业复苏中 天合光能仍疑云密布

China Tie-Up Pushes Wind Power in US 国电和富国银行的合作推动美国风电的发展

Trina, Ming Yang Kick Off New Wave of Energy Deals 天合光能、明阳风电掀起新一轮能源“订单潮

Nokia Facing China Backlash After Years of Dominance 诺基亚手机在华“失宠”

While the rest of the world buzzes about Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) blockbuster deal to buy Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI), eyes in China are more focused on a worrisome report regarding struggling Nokia (Helsinki: NOK1V), which once dominated the Chinese market but is rapidly losing share to up-and-comers like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Samsung (Seoul: 005930). According to the report, a growing number of Chinese sellers are refusing to accept shipments of Nokia phones, in what looks like a rebellion after years of being bullied by Nokia when it dominated both the China and global markets.  (Chinese article) The article doesn’t provide a lot more detail, but does say the insurrection has been going on since April, and could see Nokia report sharply lower sales in the world’s largest cellphone market by subscribers when second-quarter numbers start to come out. If true, this rapid fall in fortunes for Nokia would mirror its rapid global decline. Chinese consumers, like everyone else, are always looking for the latest and coolest cellphone, and Nokia’s offerings just don’t look nearly as sleek as smartphones from Apple or Samsung. What’s more, lower end producers like ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) are appealing to more cost-conscious consumers, offering cool, low-priced smartphones costing as little as $100 each based on Google’s Android operating system. Nokia, by comparison, can only offer phones based on its own Symbian system, which most people find uninspired and is due for retirement by the end of this year. The trend for Nokia resembles what happened several years ago in China to Motorola, whose fall from grace was also rapid and for similar reasons. If this report is true, and I think there’s a good chance it is, Nokia could easily lose its crown as the top mobile phone seller in China within the next year.

Bottom line: A rebellion by Chinese cellphone sellers against Nokia reflects the company’s broader fall from grace, and could see it lose its market-leading position in China in the next 12 months.

谷歌<GOOG.O>收购摩托罗拉移动<MMI.N>成为全球热议话题,而在中国,一份有关诺基亚<NOK.N>的报告更令人关注。诺基亚曾是中国手机市场霸主,但其市场份额正迅速被苹果<AAPL.O>和三星<005930.KS>等新秀蚕食。该报告显示,大批中国代理商拒绝进诺基亚手机,看起来很像一场对诺基亚主导国内外市场多年的反抗。文章并未提供更多细节,但称从4月起,中国各地代理商开始对诺基亚“说不”。二季度数据出炉时,诺基亚在华销量料将大幅下滑。如果情况确实如此,诺基亚盈利迅速减少,将反映其在全球市场的迅速衰落。与其他国家一样,中国消费者也总是青睐最酷的新款手机,而诺基亚手机难与苹果或三星的智能手机媲美。此外,中兴通讯<0763.HK><000063.SZ>等较低端手机生产商推出时尚的Android智能手机,每款售价低至100美元,对节省开支的消费者更具吸引力。相比之下,诺基亚只有采用塞班系统的手机,许多人觉得该系统缺乏新意,预计将於今年年底前“退役”。这很像几年前摩托罗拉在华面临的困境,摩托罗拉当年也是由於类似原因,迅速走下坡路。如果这份有关诺基亚的报告属实,我认为,诺基亚很可能将在明年失去中国手机市场霸主地位。

一句话:中国大批代理商对诺基亚手机“说不”,证明诺基亚手机进一步“失宠”,或在一年内失去在华市场的主导地位。

Related postings 相关文章:

Apple on a China Roll, Ambushing Nokia, Lenovo 苹果伏击诺基亚和联想 在华发展势如破竹

Motorola, Huawei Settle, Now Everyone Can Move On 华为与摩托罗拉和解,各方均受益

Guest Post: Move Over Nokia and RIM, Here Comes HTC

Bright Finally Finds Tasty M&A in Australia’s Manassen 光明食品终於觅得“佳偶”

After nearly a year on the M&A trail, Shanghai’s Bright Food appears to be on the brink of finally landing its first overseas purchase with a deal to buy Manassen Foods, an Australian maker of  chocolates and bread. (English article) Terms of the deal, still being negotiated, would see Bright, China’s second largest food group, buy 75 percent of the Australian company for around $416 million, valuing Manassen at about $550 million. People who follow Chinese companies will recall that Bright’s name has popped up at least a half dozen times over the last year in conjunction with various international M&A, with Bright most recently chasing another Australian company, Treasury Wine (Sydney: TWE), just last month. (previous post) Bright has said on numerous occasions it is interested in acquiring overseas brands, so from that perspective this deal should come as no surprise. It’s hard to say too much about this purchase yet, as no financials are being provided at this stage. But on the surface at least, itl looks pretty good for Bright. Manassen looks like a nice mid-sized company, based on the market valuation, and should easily be affordable for Bright, which earlier this year raised $1 billion in a bond offering and share sale for one of its units. (previous post) Bright’s purchase of a 75 percent stake will give it comfortable control of Manassen, which presumably is profitable. There are still a few concerns, most notably the question of whether Bright, in its obvious eagerness for overseas M&A, has overpaid for Manassen. Bright will also have to be careful in terms of managing this company: cross-cultural problems could easily emerge if it tries to exercise too much control; but on the other hand, a too hands-off approach could also pose problems if Manassen managers believe their rich new Chinese ownership gives them a license to take too many risks.

Bottom line: Bright Food’s $416 million purchase of Australia’s Manassen Foods looks good initially, marking a manageable step for Bright onto the global food stage.

在并购路上寻寻觅觅将近一年後,上海光明食品集团公司似乎终於要锁定第一起海外并购了。光明食品将收购澳大利亚巧克力与面包品牌Manassen Foods。根据仍在洽谈中的交易协约,光明食品将以4.16亿美元收购Manassen Foods公司75%的股份,公司给予後者的估值为约5.5亿美元。留意中国公司新闻的人应该记得光明食品过去一年来在多起跨国并购中均多次出现,最近一次就在上个月,光明食品有意求购另外一家澳大利亚公司Treasury Wine<TWE.AX>。光明已经多次表示有兴趣收购海外品牌,所以从这个角度来看,公司此次收购Manassen并不意外.目前还不宜对交易过多评头品足,因为具体财务细节还没有提供。不过,Manassen从市场估值来看像是一个不错的中型企业,对光明而言应该也买得起。收购Manassen公司75%的股份可让光明轻松掌握控股权。但问题还是有的。最突出的一个就是,一心追求海外并购的光明食品对Manassen的出价是否过高。光明食品在公司管理方面也需特别留意:光明如对Manassen控制过火,很容易出现跨文化问题。但从另一方面来说,如果Manassen管理层认为东家的大款容许自己承担更大风险,光明太过坐视不理也不大好。

一句话:光明食品4.16亿美元购澳洲食品企业初看起来还不错,对於光明走向全球舞台算得上是过得去的一步。

Related postings 相关文章:

Nestle, Bright Food Cross-Border M&A Look Sweet 雀巢、光明食品跨境并购前景看好

Bright Food Sets Table for More M&A Bids 光明食品:高举并购大旗

Unilever Helps China See the Light Behind Free Markets 联合利华帮助中国向市场经济迈进

News Digest: August 16, 2011

The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 16. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

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◙ Bright Food Agrees to Buy Majority Stake in Australia’s Manassen (English article)

◙ ReneSola’s (NYSE: SOL) Board of Directors Agrees to Implement Shareholder Rights Plan (PRNewswire)

◙ HiSoft (Nasdaq: HSFT) Reports Record Q2 Results, Raises Full Year Guidance (PRNewswire)

◙ China Lodging Group (Nasdaq: HTHT) Reports Q2 Results (PRNewswire)

◙ Huawei says H1 sales up 11 pct (English article)