Investors have taken some of the shine off of recently listed online cosmetics seller Jumei International (NYSE: JMEI), following reports that some third-party merchants on its site were engaged in the sale of fake goods. In an interesting twist, the news had little or no effect on another recently listed e-commerce firm, JD.com (Nasdaq: JD), which was also mentioned in the same reports. To some extent the mixed reaction shows that investors are still less familiar with Jumei, which is a younger firm and was far less known to Wall Street before the company’s recent listing. Still, this kind of selling of knock-off goods is always a risk for any e-commerce firm that allows third-party vendors to sell products on its sites. Read Full Post…
Tag Archives: JD.com
News Digest: July 30, 2014
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 30. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- China Retail Executive Wang Being Probed In Bribery Case (English article)
- GAPPRFT Mulls Quota System for Foreign Online Video Content – Source (English article)
- Jumei (NYSE: JMEI), JD.com (Nasdaq: JD) Suspected Of Knowingly Selling Fake Goods (Chinese article)
- Chery Receives Order For 13,000 Cars From Venezuela (Chinese article)
- McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) Japan withdraws profit guidance after China food scare (English article)
- Latest calendar for Q2 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)
Microsoft Spotlights Rise Of JD, Anti-Trust Probes
US software giant Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the subject of 2 major news stories today, casting a spotlight on a pair of very different trends involving e-commerce and foreign companies in China. The first news bit has the world’s largest software company formally launching sales of its Xbox gaming console in China through a tie-up with JD.com (Nasdaq: JD), spotlighting the rapid rise of China’s second largest e-commerce company following its own tie-up with Internet giant Tencent (HKEx: 700) earlier this year. The second news bit looks more ominous, with word that Microsoft is being probed by one of China’s anti-trust regulators. Read Full Post…
News Digest: July 29, 2014
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 29. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- SAIC Visits 4 Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Offices In New Investigation (Chinese article)
- Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Taps Tencent And JD.com For Xbox Sales In China (English article)
- Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU) Reports Q2 Unaudited Financial Results (PRNewswire)
- Scandal-Hit Husi Food Admits To Management Problems, Downplays Issues (Chinese article)
- China Condemns US Anti-Dumping Duties On Solar Imports (English article)
- Latest calendar for Q2 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)
Alibaba Makes Peace With Banks In Lending Tie-Up
A year after it shook up China’s stodgy banking sector with the launch of its Yu’ebao savings product, e-commerce leader Alibaba looks set to give the market another shot of needed innovation in a new tie-up with 7 major banks. This time the aim is to promote lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on manufacturers and especially exporters. Such companies often have difficulty getting loans from traditional banks for reasons I’ll explain shortly. Thus this new partnership aims to use Alibaba’s mountains of financial data on these smaller companies to help the banks better understand underserved SMEs that are a critical player in China’s economy. Read Full Post…
Regulator Tough On Internet TV, Eases On E-Commerce
Two major regulatory moves could have opposite effects for different areas of the Internet, providing relief for e-commerce firms while posing yet another new challenge for online video operators. In the former category, media are reporting the regulator that oversees e-commerce is talking with major players about modifying a controversial policy that gives consumers the right to unconditionally return most merchandise within a week of buying it. In the latter category, other media reports say the broadcasting regulator is continuing an ongoing campaign to rein in online video sites by limiting their ability to operate dedicated program channels similar to traditional TV. Read Full Post…
Weibo: Execs Wax Nostalgic, Xiaomi Eyes VNO License
Chinese tech executives were waxing nostalgic on their microblogs this past week, reflecting a broader seasonal business slowdown as we head into the quiet summer months when many people go on vacation. The flurry of memories from top executives at smartphone maker Xiaomi, security software maker Cheetah Mobile (NYSE: CMCM) and e-commerce giant JD.com (Nasdaq: JD) came as a nice break from the usual promotional hype in the microblogging realm, and shows that even executives need to take a break periodically from their usual self-promotion.
While the airwaves were mostly empty of the usual hype, another Xiaomi executive was still at work with his hints that the company has applied for a virtual network operator (VNO) license to offer telecoms services. That move doesn’t come as a huge surprise, since a wide range of Chinese tech firms have also applied for such licenses, which allow them to offer mobile service under their own brand names to attract new users for their core products. Read Full Post…
Weibo: Xiaomi, Dangdang On New Long Marches
Cyberchatter over the past week was shining a spotlight on the huge task ahead for domestic Chinese smartphone makers, as they engage in cut-throat competition in their massive home market. A new survey posted by a top regional telecoms executive showed just how little loyalty Chinese customers feel towards most of the domestic brands, underscoring the fact that low prices are still their major attraction.
Meantime, fading e-commerce veteran Dangdang (NYSE: DANG) was also facing its own uphill battle, as its core online book business was reportedly on the cusp of being overtaken by much newer rival JD.com (Nasdaq: JD), China’s second largest player. True to his usual form, Dangdang’s talkative but short-sighted co-founder Li Guoqing was more focused on a new employee incentive plan than the looming negative milestone for a division that was once his company’s core business. Read Full Post…
Vancl Cuts More, IPO In Sight?
Former online clothing high-flyer Vancl is making yet more cuts to its business, as it pursues its dream of finding sustainable profits and making an eventual public listing. Both goals could come sooner rather than later, especially since IPOs by Chinese web firms have suddenly become an investor favorite again on Wall Street, as reflected by new data on the second-quarter IPO market. Such an offering could be compelling if Vancl really has become profitable, since it’s a clear leader in the highly competitive but still somewhat niche area of clothing e-commerce. Read Full Post…
Weibo: Tencent’s Quick Take On 58.com; Xiaomi Tries On Vancl
A series of microblog posts this past week is highlighting the breakneck pace of wheeling and dealing happening behind the scenes on China’s Internet as it undergoes an unprecedented wave of consolidation. What started as a trickle of buying early last year has become so routine that barely anyone notices now when new deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars are signed. Equally interesting are the untold stories of companies quietly being dismantled in the wake of larger deals, and hints of deals to come in the microblog posts of executives at firms leading the consolidation. Read Full Post…
News Digest: July 1, 2014
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 1. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Sex Video New Twist In GSK (London: GSK) China Bribery Scandal (English article)
- LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104) Wins Piracy Lawsuit Against Xiaomi Box (Chinese article)
- WeChat Accounts for 10 Pct Of JD.com (Nasdaq: JD) Book Sales (English article)
- Mobile Game Maker Ourgame (HKEx: 6899) Drops 17 Pct On Trading Debut (Chinese article)
- Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Seeks Managers For Stores In 6 New Chinese Cities (English article)
