The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 11. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Internet titan Tencent (HKEx: 700) is wasting little time in its search for synergies with its growing stable of strategic partners, with word of a new tie-up between its popular WeChat instant messaging service and its search partner Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU). The new partnership will see WeChat provide exclusive access to its huge volumes of user-generated content for indexing by Sohu’s Sogou search engine. The alliance comes just 9 months after Tencent and Sohu announced an equity tie-up that saw the 2 companies combine their search businesses to form China’s third largest player. Read Full Post…
A half year after a scathing short-seller attack decimated its stock, security software maker NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ) is still trying to convince the world that it’s a serious company by boosting its revenue guidance and announcing a strategic tie-up for one of its US subsidiaries. Unfortunately, investors didn’t seem too impressed by the 2 pieces of upbeat news, though NQ shares did stage a modest rally after the announcements. That rally was what initially attracted my attention — until I realized that the company’s shares are now trading even lower than they were after the original massive sell-off following the short-seller attack last November. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on May 28. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Tencent (HKEx: 700) In Clean-Up Of WeChat “Moments”, Public Accounts (Chinese article)
Ford (NYSE: F) Automotive Finance (China) Completes First ABS Transaction in China (Businesswire)
It’s been a quiet week in the microblogging realm, due to the 3 day May Day holiday that saw much of China closed down for the latter part of the week to enjoy the arrival of spring. The vacation didn’t see any slowdown in the ongoing smartphone price wars in China, which are forcing local players to look overseas to escape the overheated domestic market. Mid-sized player Vivo became the latest player to look outside China, starting down a path that looks similar to that being blazed by smartphone sensation Xiaomi.
Meantime, top executives from car website Autohome (NYSE: ATHM) and software security maker Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) were having a bit more fun on their holidays. The vacation saw Autohome founder Li Xiang, and Qihoo’s controversial CEO Zhou Hongyi both take a break from their usual business thoughts to make some entertaining posts on their microblogs, showing how they like to spend their non-working time. Read Full Post…
Two of China’s fastest-growing tech firms are stepping up their overseas expansion, with word that smartphone sensation Xiaomi is planning a major acceleration of its drive into emerging markets, as security software maker Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) eyes the US. The Xiaomi move looks like a smart one by avoiding developed markets for now, though the rapid speed of the expansion could strain the company’s resources. Meantime, the Qihoo move looks mostly like hype, in a bid to prop up its rapidly deflating share price. I also seriously question Qihoo’s decision to target such a competitive market like the US for its first move outside China. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on April 24. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Xiaomi To Enter 10 New Countries For Smartphone Sales (English article)
China National Cable TV Operator Completes Registration (Chinese article)
Qihoo (NYSE: QIHU), Sungy (Nasdaq: GOMO) Partner To Target Global Expansion (PRNewswire)
China Telecom (HKEx: 728) To Release 4G Handsets In May – Sources (English article)
Yingli (NYSE: YGE) Proposes Follow-on Public Offering of 25 Mln ADSs (PRNewswire)
Fast rising search operators Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) and Sogou may be challenging sector heavyweight Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) in terms of market share, but they’re having far more difficulty finding an audience among advertisers that are the sector’s main revenue source. That’s my main conclusion after seeing the latest data for all 3 companies, which show Qihoo and Sogou making steady gains in terms of search traffic but failing to translate those gains into meaningful revenue. Read Full Post…
Xunlei and 55tuan have emerged as 2 of the biggest orphans in the rapidly consolidating online video and group buying spaces, respectively, putting pressure on both to find partners to boost their chances for long-term survival. The pair were in separate headlines this week in their search for new tie-ups, with Xunlei selling a major stake of itself to software maker Kingsoft (HKEx: 3888) and 55tuan reportedly in talks to sell some or all of itself to security software maker Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU). Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on April 2. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Building Materials Maker Xuzhou Zhongsen Missed Bond Payment: Report (English article)
Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) In Talks to Acquire Group Buy Site 55Tuan – Source (English article)
Inventory At 46 Car Makers Climbs 14 Pct To 86 Bln Yuan (Chinese article)
LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK), Joint Provisional Liquidators Provide Update (PRNewswire)
Shanda Sells 41 Pct Of Ku6 Media (Nasdaq: KUTV) To Xu Xudong (English article)
Where were you this past Saturday night? Most of us probably spent the evening having dinner out, or perhaps visiting friends. But for many of China’s tech executives, the date of March 15 has become for nervousness due to CCTV’s annual investigative reports broadcast that evening for Consumer Rights Day. The program often targets high-profile brands in its effort to uncover abusive business practices, and many of those names come from the tech sector. But this year’s program was a relative disappointment, with some observers cynically noting on their microblogs that CCTV seemed more interested in generating advertising revenue than protecting consumers. Read Full Post…
