Consolidation in China’s crowded Internet is moving ahead full steam these days, with the latest reports indicating that online matchmaking site Jiayuan.com International (Nasdaq: DATE) may be the latest takeover target. If the reports are true, the talks would mark the latest tie-up that has seen cash-rich Internet giants including Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), Alibaba and Tencent (HKEx: 700) embark on a recent buying frenzy for undervalued and cash-starved smaller Internet firms. Jiayuan certainly seems to fit that description, as the company’s shares have languished since its IPO 2 years ago. Read Full Post…
Tag Archives: Baidu
Yahoo’s China Buy: What’s The Strategy?
If Yahoo’s (Nasdaq: YHOO) new chief executive Marissa Mayer wanted to confuse the market about her China strategy, she’s doing a good job with the company’s latest move in the market. Just 3 months after shuttering its China email service, in what looked like the prelude to a withdrawal from the market, Yahoo has announced its purchase of a Chinese R&D startup. (English article) In all fairness, Mayer has only been on the job for a year and these kinds of little strategic moves are relatively common for incoming executives. But this kind of mixed signal could also auger a confused strategy in China, similar to Yahoo’s previous strategy that ultimately led to its failure twice in the complex market. Read Full Post…
HK Nets Another Internet IPO With Snail
Yet another Chinese Internet firm is reportedly eying a Hong Kong listing, with word that mid-sized online gaming firm Suzhou Snail Digital is weighing an IPO to raise up to $100 million. This latest news must be worrisome to the 2 major stock markets in New York, which traditionally were the preferred listing venue for Chinese Internet companies and other start-up tech firms. Most of China’s biggest Internet firms now trade in New York, including search giant Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) and online travel services leader Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP). But the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange have lost some of their appeal over the last 2 years, amid waning interesting by investors and a crackdown against Chinese firms by the US securities regulator following a series of accounting scandals. Read Full Post…
Alibaba Turns To Travel As Profit Zooms
Too much money isn’t always a good thing, as it often pressures companies to put that money to work even when good investment opportunities are limited. Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) demonstrated that reality earlier this week with its purchase of an online app store that had little relationship with its core online search business (previous post), and now Alibaba is also showing similar tendencies with its investment in an online travel services website. In Alibaba’s case, the new investment come as the e-commerce leader posted a record second-quarter profit, and as it prepares for a blockbuster IPO that increasingly looks like it will take place in Hong Kong. Read Full Post…
Baidu M&A Accelerates With 91Wireless Buy
Everyone is talking about the latest blockbuster acquisition by online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), so I thought I’d get in my own quick thoughts on its purchase of one of China’s leading wireless apps suppliers. In some ways, Baidu’s purchase of 91Wireless for up to $1.9 billion looks like a smart move that will help it diversify beyond its core search business. But in others, the move seems to reflect an M&A strategy lacking focus, since the app business doesn’t really complement any of Baidu’s other core product areas. Read Full Post…
News Digest: July 17, 2013
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 17. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Smithfield’s (NYSE: SFD) China Bidders Plan Hong Kong IPO After Deal – Sources (English article)
- Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) Acquire NetDragon’s (HKEx: 777) Subsidiary 91 Wireless (PRNewswire)
- Xiaomi H1 2013 Revenue Reaches 13.3 Bln Yuan (English article)
- ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) Updates Q2 and Full Year 2013 Outlook (PRNewswire)
- Alibaba Chooses HK For Listing To Raise Up To $16 Bln – Source (Chinese article)
Sohu, Qihoo Near Search Marriage
Two months after reports first emerged that web portal Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU) was looking to sell its Sogou search engine, it appears a sale may finally be imminent to security software maker Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU). If indeed the latest reports are true, the big winner from such a sale would be Qihoo, which would combine its own so.com search service with Sogou to create a major new player with a quarter of China’s search market. China tech watchers like myself will also be happy to see this story finally disappear from the headlines, following a non-stop string of mixed signals since early May from Sohu’s fickle and frustrated founder and Chairman Charles Zhang. Read Full Post…
Qihoo’s Newest Trojan Horse: Cheap Routers
I’m not the biggest fan of software security specialist Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) due to its sometimes dubious business practices that often result in lawsuits and other complaints against the company. But I do have to admire the creative ways it finds to secretly install its products on people’s computers, which I suspect is the main motivation for its newly announced wireless router that carries a very low price tag. Of course all this stealth activity is just slightly ironic for a company like Qihoo, whose core product is software that’s supposed to make users’ computers more secure. Read Full Post…
Baidu, Tencent Challenge Qihoo In Security
Security software has remained a relatively quiet product area in China despite its huge potential, largely due to the domination of the market by early entrant Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU). But that looks set to change soon, with the latest reports indicating that search leader Baidu and social networking giant Tencent (HKEx: 700) could be preparing to enter the market with their own rival products. Read Full Post…
News Digest: June 26, 2013
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- Carrefour (Paris: CARR) Considering Sale Of China, Taiwan Businesses: Report (English article)
- China Mobile (HKEx: 941), Etisalat Weigh Bids For Pakistan Telco – Sources (English article)
- Baidu’s (Nasdaq: BIDU) Qunar May Seek $1 Bln IPO in H2 2013 – Investors (English article)
- Tencent (HKEx: 700) Invests $47 Mln In Kingsoft Security Software Unit (Chinese article)
- HJEnglish Lands Second-Round $20 Mln Funding – Source (English article)
News Digest: June 11-13
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 11-13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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- China Eyes EU Luxury Cars As Trade Dispute Rages (English article)
- Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS 7 Will Play Nice With Tencent, Sina Weibo (English article)
- Censorship Lawsuit Against Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), China Gets New Life In US (English article)
- China Pulls ‘The Croods’ From Cinemas 2 Weeks Early (English article)
- Camelot Information Systems (NYSE: CIS) Announces Unaudited Q1 Results (PRNewswire)