One of my well-informed sources tells me that Shenzhen-listed IT outsourcing firm Beyondsoft (Shenzhen: 002649) is weighing a bid for rival Camelot Information Systems (NYSE: CIS), in what would be an interesting twist to the ongoing exodus of Chinese firms from US stock exchanges. If this information is true, it could mean we may start to see some bidding wars among private buyers for the growing number of Chinese firms that are abandoning their New York listings due to low valuations. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 25. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China Cash Squeeze Eases, But Bank Shares Take Big Hit (English article)
Smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum (Nasdaq: SPRD) has become the latest US-listed Chinese firm to receive a buyout offer, continuing a trend that is making such names an endangered species on New York’s 2 stock exchanges. The process is the result of natural market forces and thus should be allowed to continue without interference, even though it could also cut off an important funding source for some of China’s most dynamic companies. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 20-22. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Spreadtrum (Nasdaq: SPRD) Announces Receipt of Acquisition Proposal (PRNewswire)
More US Senators Concerned By Shuanghui-Smithfield (NYSE: SFD) Deal (English article)
Regulator Says Alibaba’s Yu E Bao Product Violates Securities Rules (Chinese article)
China Mobile (HKEx: 941) Halts New User Registration For Skype-Like Jego (Chinese article)
Zynga China Reportedly Laid off 18 Pct Employees, GM to Resign (English article)
The latest earnings and outlook are breathing new life into low-cost smarphone chip maker Spreadtrum (Nasdaq: SPRD), but also showing why the market remains difficult for homegrown IT services firms like Camelot Information Systems (NYSE: CIS). Spreadtrum’s newly announced upside surprise could bode well for the broader field of companies that specialize in low-cost smartphones and their components, as China prepares to launch 4G mobile services later this year. Meantime, Camelot’s weak earnings are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, though at least it won’t have to publicly discuss those embarrassing numbers if its current bid to privatize succeeds. Read Full Post…
This may look like something only a techie can appreciate, but the recent start of production by leading global chipmaker Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) for cellphone chips using a homegrown Chinese technology looks set to provide a major boost to dominant Chinese telco China Mobile (HKEx; 941; NYSE: CHL). This latest development comes as big and important news for TD, the homegrown technology being used by China Mobile in its 3G and 4G networks.
Cellphone chipmaker Spreadtrum (Nasdaq: SPRD) and solar panel maker LDK (NYSE: LDK) are both using good news as a smokescreen to draw attention away from bigger bad news, with the former announcing a new dividend and the latter a minor victory in a business dispute. In both cases, each company is grappling with much bigger problems that have caused their share prices to sag as investors lose interest in their tarnished growth stories. In LDK’s case the situation is much worse, with the company essentially being supported by the government as it teeters on the brink of insolvency.
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on December 14. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
iPhone 5 Hits China As Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Market Share Slips (English article)
Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) China Adds Kindle Store Channel (English article)
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.
The credibility crisis plaguing US-listed Chinese firms took a twist last week when first a group of Internet leaders and then another group of company executives launched attacks on the short sellers who sparked the crisis last year. While many of the earliest short seller attacks were based on real issues related to dubious accounting practices, the Chinese groups last week argued the recent attacks that have prolonged the crisis are unfounded and little more than ploys to earn fast money.
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on May 8. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.