The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 3-5. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Fosun (HKEx: 656) Wins Contest For Club Med As Andrea Bonomi To Drop Bid (English article)
Haier-Evergrande, JD.com-Midea In New Alliances For 2015 (Chinese article)
Perfect World (Nasdaq: PWRD) Receves “Going Private” Proposal at $20 Per ADS (PRNewswire)
Renren (NYSE: RENN) Announces Resignation Of CFO, Board Changes (PRNewswire)
Xiaomi Doubles Revenue to $12 Billion as Phone Sales Triple (English article)
Bottom line: The target of Qihoo’s rumored smartphone purchase could be Coolpad, while Xiaomi’s new tie-up with Midea could be followed by similar pairings in a broader drive to develop smart appliances.
Qihoo eying Coolpad?
A couple of big deals are bubbling around in the smartphone space today, led by yet another new tie-up involving smartphone sensation Xiaomi, this time with home appliance maker Midea (Shenzhen: 000333). But the hyperactive Xiaomi is having to share the spotlight with the edgier security software specialist Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU), which is reportedly eying a deal for its own major smartphone acquisition worth up to $1 billion.
Each of these deals has slightly different motivating factors, but the central theme is that companies like Qihoo and Xiaomi increasingly see smartphones as a central element of larger suites of product and services rather than just a stand-alone product. In Xiaomi’s case, the company already counts smartphones as its core central product and is trying to build up an ecosystem of related products and services like smart TVs and air conditioners. Qihoo is eying smartphones as a vehicle for propagating its core software and Internet services. Read Full Post…
Bottom line: Xiaomi’s new smart air purifier looks like a good move to build up its ecosystem of interconnected smart devices, while LeTV’s new EV initiative is more likely a publicity ploy.
China’s entrepreneurial tech firms never miss a good business opportunity, and environmental plays are suddenly the flavor of the day with word of major new pollution-related plays by smartphone sensation Xiaomi and online video firm LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104). Xiaomi has announced it will enter the smart devices space with a new line of air purifiers aimed at consumers tired of breathing polluted Chinese air. Meantime, LeTV has announced its intent to get into the electric vehicle (EV) business, as China opens up that sector to encourage development of more clean technology. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 20. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Solar Tariffs To Boost Prices for Chinese Panels In US By 14 Pct – Report (English article)
China Mobile Games (Nasdaq: CMGE) In Mgmt Shake-Up Over Business Practices (Chinese article)
Starwood (NYSE: HOT) To Double Luxury Portfolio in China in Next 2 Years (Businesswire)
Haier To Cut 10,000 Jobs In Ongoing Efficiency Drive (Chinese article)
Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Fully Acquires Online Lottery Site Aicai.com (English article)
E-commerce leader Alibaba is forming some interesting new tie-ups with major multinationals, including a new strategic partnership with Dutch electronics giant Philips (Amsterdam: PHG) and a pairing between its recently acquired AutoNavi (Nasdaq: AMAP) online mapping division and leading German automaker Volkswagen (Frankfurt: VOWG). I’ve previously said I’m not a big fan of Alibaba’s recent M&A binge, as it looks a bit lacking in focus and could lead to operational headaches as the company tries to integrate so many different businesses. But these latest non-acquisitive tie-ups with major global partners look like a smarter strategy for expanding its reach as it prepares for a multibillion-dollar New York IPO. Read Full Post…
I’m quickly getting tired of writing so much about the flood of new initiatives coming from Internet leaders Alibaba and Tencent (HKEx: 700), which is why I’m combining the latest word of new tie-ups for both into a single posting today. Frankly speaking, both of these initiatives look quite interesting and a year ago I would have done a separate posting and analysis for each. But these latest alliances look less interesting in the current frenzy of similar new announcements. One will see Alibaba partner with appliance maker Midea (Shenzhen: 000333), and the other Tencent and educational services provider New Oriental (NYSE: EDU). Read Full Post…
Traditional Chinese appliance makers are showing a sudden interest in moving outside their usual comfort zone, with word that sector giant Midea (Shenzhen: 000333) is applying for a banking license. Midea joins a fast-growing queue that has seen rivals Haier (HKEx: 1169) and Gree (Shenzhen: 000651) make similar moves outside their traditional areas, in what looks to me like a typical herd mentality that one often sees in Chinese industries.
In this case the urgency to diversify doesn’t seem that critical, since I don’t expect consumer demand for big appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators to fade anytime soon. That contrasts sharply with a parallel diversification drive in the traditional retailing sector, where companies like electronics seller Gome (HKEx: 493) and supermarket operator Wumart (HKEx: 1025) are facing an unprecedented challenge from a new generation of e-commerce firms like Jingdong and Yihaodian. Read Full Post…
Most people are focusing on Alibaba in the new announcement of its major new logistics tie-up with leading home appliance maker Haier (HKEx: 1169), so I thought I would take a different approach and focus instead on the underappreciated Haier. Actually, I should clarify and say that Haier was formerly underappreciated, as investors quickly discovered its shares after announcement of the $360 million tie-up, bidding the stock up to a 14-year high on optimism about the new partnership. I’ve always been quite positive on Haier, one of China’s top brands in home appliances, and think this new venture continues its tradition of carefully considered partnerships with good chances for success into new areas. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on December 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China Everbright Bank To Launch $2.8 Bln Hong Kong IPO On Tuesday (English article)
Alibaba Invests $361 Mln In Haier’s (HKEx: 1169) “Big Goods” Logistics (English article)
Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) Signs Loan Agreement For Solar Projects In Japan (PRNewswire)
I want to mark this week’s return to work for most of China with a look at 3 new foreign partnerships announced over the past week, 1 each involving home appliance maker Haier (Shanghai: 600690), the Twitter-like Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Weibo and telecoms equipment maker ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063). All 3 of the tie-ups are different in nature, but they do look innovative and encouraging and should have positive implications for each company’s future development. Read Full Post…
The brief but colorful tale of one of China’s better-executed overseas M&A deals appears to be nearing a happy ending, with word that home appliance giant Haier’s (HKEx: 1169) slightly sweetened takeover bid for Fisher & Paykel (NZ: FPA) has finally won approval from the New Zealand company’s board. Haier’s raised bid of NZ$1.28 per share appears to be just the right amount it needed to convince F&P’s board to approve the deal, marking a 7 percent increase over an initial offer of NZ$1.20 per share. (English article; Chinese article) I’ve had nothing but praise from the start for Haier in its handling of this deal, which looks like a good template for other Chinese companies to follow.
China’s entrepreneurial tech firms never miss a good business opportunity, and environmental plays are suddenly the flavor of the day with word of major new pollution-related plays by smartphone sensation Xiaomi and online video firm LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104). Xiaomi has announced it will enter the smart devices space with a new line of air purifiers aimed at consumers tired of breathing polluted Chinese air. Meantime, LeTV has announced its intent to get into the electric vehicle (EV) business, as China opens up that sector to encourage development of more clean technology. 
The brief but colorful tale of one of China’s better-executed overseas M&A deals appears to be nearing a happy ending, with word that home appliance giant Haier’s (HKEx: 1169) slightly sweetened takeover bid for Fisher & Paykel (NZ: FPA) has finally won approval from the New Zealand company’s board. Haier’s raised bid of NZ$1.28 per share appears to be just the right amount it needed to convince F&P’s board to approve the deal, marking a 7 percent increase over an initial offer of NZ$1.20 per share. (
