Bottom line: A new strategic investment in LightInTheBox by a major shoemaker is a vote of confidence in its turnaround story, while Bona Film’s buyout offer caps a week of record privatization activity for US-listed Chinese firms.
LightInTheBox gets new strategic partner
Last week’s privatization frenzy for US-listed Chinese firms saw one more company join the queue on the final day of the week, with movie maker Bona Film (Nasdaq: BONA) adding its name to the list of companies looking to end their relationship with fickle New York investors. That final offer brought the number of US-listed Chinese firms receiving buyout offers last week to 5, which must surely be a record for such bids in a single week.
Meantime, another interesting deal has seen underperforming e-commerce company LightInTheBox (NYSE: LITB) receive its own big new investment from one of China’s leading shoemakers. That deal saw Aokang Shoes (Shanghai: 603001) buy about a quarter of LightInTheBox’s shares, hinting at a major new direction for the foreign-focused e-commerce company and also implying it’s unlikely to de-list from New York anytime soon. Read Full Post…
Bottom line: China’s Ninebot most likely purchased Segway for less than $100 million to get its technology, and could make a New York IPO by 2017 that will value the firm at $2-$5 billion.
Ninebot buys Segway
If you can’t beat ’em, then buy ’em. That seems to be the philosophy at a Chinese firm called Ninebot, which has just announced it has purchased US rival Segway, maker of a trendy type of 2 wheel, stand up vehicle used to travel short distances. The pair of companies previously had a stormy relationship, as Segway had accused Ninebot of intellectual property theft. So this new purchase should formally end the copycat allegations. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on April 16. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Legend Group Files For Hong Kong IPO, 2014 Profit Reaches 4.1 Bln Yuan (Chinese article)
Alibaba Injects $2.5 Bln Online Pharmacy Business Into Alibaba Health (HKEx: 241) (English article)
Bottom line: Dianping or Meituan is likely to mount an IPO bid next year, in a deal that could value either at around $5-10 billion and win a premium as China’s first group buying site to list.
Meituan gets new mega-funding
China’s newly consolidated group buying sector could be close to making its first IPO, with word that leading operator Meituan is on the cusp of landing a massive $700 million in new funding. Such a huge amount would be the company’s fourth round of funding since 2010, and would follow not long after it reportedly raised $300 million earlier this year. That kind of funding frenzy often comes just before an IPO, which leads me to expect we could finally see Meituan become China’s first publicly listed group buying Internet company with a New York IPO perhaps in the first half of next year. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 29-December 1. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Alibaba-Backed (NYSE: BABA) Momo Seeks Up To $232 Mln In Chat App IPO (English article)
Wanda Cinema Line Gets First-Round Regulatory Approval For China Listing (Chinese article)
Cosmetics Start-Up Hanhoo Gets 100 Mln Yuan-Plus Funding From Sequoia (Chinese article)
TPG Exits China Grand Auto Investment Via Haitong (HKEx: 665) Sale (English article)
Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Says Execs Sold Company Shares For Cruise Investment (Chinese article)
News of major new fund-raising by 2 Chinese financial firms is casting a spotlight on the wide range of private lending organizations that are likely to emerge in the years ahead, fueled by Beijing’s desire to create a more efficient lending environment. In this case we’re seeing activity at opposite ends of the spectrum, led by a massive new rights offer by private equity giant Fosun International (HKEx: 656), and a more modest but still significant second-round venture capital investment for peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Ppdai.com.
Both of these moves spotlight the wide array of choices that investors will soon have for private-sector financiers in China. But this emerging sector will also carry significant risk, since Beijing is still trying to figure out how to adequately regulate this group to ensure its longer-term healthy development. Read Full Post…
After a 4 year cycle that saw China’s group buying sector first boom and then crash spectacularly, we could finally see an IPO soon from Meituan, which has emerged as the industry’s leader and a true survivor. Media are reporting that Meituan is close to getting $100 million in new funding — an admirable feat in the current climate that has seen investors largely shun the group of former high flyers. That investment would come just weeks after leading Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700) purchased 20 percent of Dianping, another strong player that has emerged in the group buying space. (previous post) Read Full Post…
Less than 2 months after hiring a top executive to head its new push into China, professional networking leader LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) has come out with a series of announcements on the new launch of a Chinese-language edition for its service, and also some figures for the size of its addressable market in China. The company has also rolled out its official Chinese name, Lingying, which translates roughly to “Leading Hero”, perhaps encapsulating how it hopes to position itself in the market. And in a nod to the challenges it will face, its CEO Jeff Weiner has also put out a separate lower-profile announcement detailing how the company plans to handle sensitive issues involving China’s strict censorship policies. Read Full Post…
When does an 87 percent rise in your share price in just 3 months make you a laggard? The answer: When your name is online travel agent Qunar (Nasdaq: QUNR), and the 87 percent rise makes you the worst performer among a quartet of Chinese Internet companies to make New York IPOs at the end of last year. The sudden surge in investor interest towards these companies will almost certainly lead many Chinese Internet firms to speed up their New York listing plans in the first quarter of this year, starting off with word that Tuniu, another online travel services firm, is accelerating its plans for a listing in the next few months. Read Full Post…
In a theme that is rapidly gaining momentum, yet another US-listed Chinese firm has announced a new privatization bid to capitalize on valuations that have been pushed to rock-bottom levels amid a broader investor confidence crisis. The newest management-led buyout offer from 7 Days Group (NYSE: SVN), the smallest of China’s 3 publicly listed budget hotel operators, follows a string of similar moves that have seen other US-listed Chinese companies, including Shanda Interactive and Focus Media (Nasdaq: FMCN), make similar moves. So perhaps the more interesting question is: who are the most likely companies to launch similar privatization bids, as investors can clearly make some quick money if they can answer this question correctly.
In a theme that is rapidly gaining momentum, yet another US-listed Chinese firm has announced a new privatization bid to capitalize on valuations that have been pushed to rock-bottom levels amid a broader investor confidence crisis. The newest management-led buyout offer from 7 Days Group (NYSE: SVN), the smallest of China’s 3 publicly listed budget hotel operators, follows a string of similar moves that have seen other US-listed Chinese companies, including Shanda Interactive and Focus Media (Nasdaq: FMCN), make similar moves. So perhaps the more interesting question is: who are the most likely companies to launch similar privatization bids, as investors can clearly make some quick money if they can answer this question correctly.
