DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

HONG KONG, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Why would the world’s largest battery maker want to sell shares when it’s already flush with liquidity? It ended June with 102 billion yuan ($14 billion) in net cash, Moody’s calculates. CATL has just started production at a new facility in Germany and is building a plant in Hungary, its first forays West. The company’s long-term loans have increased more than tenfold to more than 70 billion yuan and its long-term bonds by around a third to nearly 20 billion yuan since 2020, per Visible Alpha. But as Zeng’s electric dreams accelerate, he’ll want to be sure CATL’s own batteries are fully charged.

Persons: it’s, CATL, Robin Zeng, Breakingviews, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong, Thailand’s, Ford Motor, Technology, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Switzerland, CATL, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Fitch, Indonesia, Swiss

At least Zeekr benefits from having a powerful parent, Geely Automobile, which is part of China’s largest privately owned auto group Zhejiang Geely. But Geely Automobile, which will maintain control of the business after the IPO, has a market capitalisation of only $12.3 billion. The company, owned by Chinese automaker Geely Automobile, hopes to use funds raised to expand its product line. The company reported a net loss of 3.9 billion yuan ($534 million) for the six months to the end of June 2023, compared with a 3.1 billion yuan loss a year earlier. Revenue grew by 136% to 21 billion yuan, with 13.2 billion yuan of that total coming from vehicle sales.

Persons: Zeekr, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Geely Automobile, HK, Graphics, European Union, Zhejiang, Investors, Revenue, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, New York, Beijing, Washington, Brussels, China, U.S, Europe, China’s, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Oct 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s getting harder for China Inc to go global, and tougher for global financial advisors to take on the rapidly shrinking pool of related mandates. Belgium’s intelligence service VSSE said on Thursday that it is trying to “detect and fight against possible spying and/or interference activities carried out by Chinese entities including Alibaba”. Fellow courier SF Holding is also preparing a Hong Kong listing to raise as much as $3 billion to support, among other things, ambitious expansion beyond Asia. Alibaba signed an agreement with the Belgium government in 2018 to open an e-commerce trade hub, run by its logistics arm Cainiao Smart Logistics Network. The Chinese e-commerce giant last month filed to list Cainiao on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Persons: VSSE, Cainiao, won’t, Alibaba, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, China Inc, HK, Belgian, Justice, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Hong, European, Liege Airport, Smart Logistics Network, Alibaba’s, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Liege, Belgian, Asia, Belgium, United States, European, Alibaba’s New York

HONG KONG, Oct 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The country’s automakers are overtaking legacy marques at home and abroad. In this Exchange podcast, industry consultant Tu Le explains what has given BYD, especially, the edge over rivals. Listen to the podcastFollow @KatrinaHamlin on XSubscribe to Breakingviews' podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Katrina HamlinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Tu Le, Elon Musk’s Tesla, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG

HONG KONG, Sept 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Global banks in Hong Kong are feeding on scraps. Bankers in Hong Kong are working on smaller issuances than they typically took on in the past, Dealogic data shows. Among the bigger ones in the works, courier SF Holding (002352.SZ) has filed for a secondary listing in Hong Kong and may raise up to $3 billion, per IFR. Fees on Indian deals are tiny, for example, and costs in Hong Kong are high. Overall investment banking fees in Hong Kong are set to come in at the lowest level in a decade too, Dealogic data shows, with HBSC top of the table.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Debtwire, Una Galani, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, UBS, Bank of America, Bankers, HK, SF, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, New York, Swiss, United States, China, brimming, Shenzhen, Asia, India, U.S, Asia Pacific, Japan

The Shenzhen-based company has not explained exactly how seven-nanometer chips ended up in the new Mate 60 Pro smartphone series. Analysts estimate deliveries of the Mate 60 Pro could top 5 million this year. Follow @KatrinaHamlin on XCONTEXT NEWSHuawei started preselling its Mate 60 Pro+ smartphone alongside a new foldable phone in September. The Chinese company started selling its high-end smartphones Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro at the end of August. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro contained a 7-nanometer processor that was made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, according to analysts at TechInsights.

Persons: TSMC, TechInsights, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, TechInsights, Kirin, Manufacturing International Corp, HK, Washington, SK Hynix, Huawei, TSMC, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, SK, South, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Shenzhen, Beijing

HONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Prudential’s (PRU.L), new CEO has inherited an old problem. Wadhwani’s decision to lead the $35 billion company from Hong Kong underscores its focus. Its Hong Kong and London-listed stock trades at just over 13 times expected earnings for 2023, per Visible Alpha. Larger rival AIA, listed in Hong Kong, is valued at around 18 times. The group’s new business profit in the mainland slipped 16% to $171 million in the first half as Pru withdrew some products from the market.

Persons: Anil Wadhwani, Pru, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, AIA, HK, U.S ., Prudential, Investments, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, Greater China, Hong Kong, London, China

HONG KONG, Aug 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) China shortcut sets a tricky roadmap for its western rivals. An increasingly competitive Chinese market means others may also need to plot a new route. VW’s western peers may feel they do not need to follow in its tracks. Second, VW’s Xpeng deal highlights how companies need to adapt quickly to stay relevant in China. Both partnerships will see the companies jointly develop intelligent, connected electric vehicles for the Chinese market.

Persons: China’s, that’s, Bernstein, Alix, Elon Musk’s, VW’s, Auto, Neil Unmack, Pranav Kiran, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, FAW, SAIC, VW, BMW, upstarts, Alix Partners, Elon, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volkswagen’s Audi, Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, Jetta, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Xpeng, Kingdom, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Zhejiang

HONG KONG, Aug 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Koji Sato enjoyed a smooth ride in his first quarter behind the wheel at Toyota Motor (7203.T). Toyota now trades just shy of 10 times estimated earnings for the next 12 months, per Refinitiv. Those same Chinese brands are encroaching on emerging markets like Thailand, where Toyota has traditionally sold well. Executives told investors on Tuesday that they’re eager to review other investments, too, including cross-holdings in the Toyota group and other assets. Total sales rose by 24% to 10.5 trillion yen in the same period.

Persons: Koji Sato, Sato, Toyota’s, that’s, Encouragingly Sato, Antony Currie, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, China, Thailand

On Thursday, regulators orchestrated an agreement between Tesla (TSLA.O) and 15 Chinese rivals to avoid “abnormal pricing”, sealing the deal at a signing ceremony in Shanghai, Bloomberg reported. Perhaps as a result, sellers of internal combustion engines frequently offered steeper discounts compared to battery-powered rivals, Citi’s data show. In this case, at least, it appears to be trying to keep competition healthy, targeting only “abnormal pricing”. If nothing else, Beijing’s intervention offers a welcome pause in hostilities. Over 30 brands in China announced discounts in the first three months of the year, according to industry consultancy Automobility.

Persons: It’s, Bill Russo, AlixPartners, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Tesla, Bloomberg, FAW Audi, BAIC Hyundai, Citi, HK, country’s Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Shanghai, Xpeng, China

Electric vehicles drove that change. In the first quarter of 2023, Russians purchased more Chinese cars than Lada, the beloved Soviet-era marque. That helps Chinese manufacturers churn out an electric vehicle for around 10,000 euros less than European competitors, according to Grant Thornton. Among the growing list of unwelcoming policies, the European Commission’s trade defence unit is considering ways to stem the tide of Chinese electric vehicle imports, according to Politico. How far China’s carmakers can make inroads further West will be decided by much more than assessments of their competency.

Persons: Bill Russo, Nio, Grant Thornton, Bernstein, Emmanuel Macron, CATL, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, Volkswagen, World Trade Organization, International Energy Agency, Global Times, Beijing, Lada, Chery, Amperex Technology, Politico, Ford Motor, Toyota, Nissan, Twitter, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BYD, People’s Republic, Europe, China, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, Japan, London ., European, United States, North America, France, Thailand, West

But rival European battery groups are still scarce, and global carmakers have more to gain than lose. Chinese battery suppliers like Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), SVOLT, Envision, and most recently EVE Energy (300014.SZ), are shaking up Europe’s e-mobility supply chains. At 4.5 billion euros, investments in projects to build new plants in Europe overtook spending on mergers and acquisitions. European battery makers will struggle to compete. Given the chance, Chinese battery makers can power up Europe’s own supply chains, and its auto companies too.

Persons: CATL, It’s, Bernstein, Emmanuel Macron, Tesla, Elon, Lisa Jucca, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, Technology, EVE Energy, Shanghai Putailai, Energy Technology, Mineral Intelligence, Companies, Wall Street, LG, Samsung SDI, Union, Commission, EU, United, Mercedes, Benz, Elon Musk’s, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, People’s Republic, Europe, Shanghai, People’s, Sweden, United States, EU, Hungary, Spain

Tesla is proposing to manufacture and sell vehicles in the country, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a source. Import duties of as much as 100% made it difficult to gauge demand, so Tesla lobbied to reduce tariffs, rather than producing locally. Committing to a factory could work for Musk too, though justifying a Tesla-sized facility calls for fast and furious sales. When Tesla set up a Gigafactory in China in 2019, its sheer scale meant supply chains sprang up to serve it. Senior Tesla executives are in India this week to meet the government to discuss local sourcing of parts and other issues, Reuters reported on May 16.

HONG KONG, April 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - If Japan is the next Macau, $16 billion MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) may be the only winner left at the table. After years of debate and delays, Japan has finally given approval for a resort in Osaka. But as diversifying from China becomes a popular mantra, this big bet looks smarter than it once did. The 1.08 trillion yen ($8.1 billion) resort is set to open in 2029. U.S. casino operator MGM Resorts International and local partner Orix will each own a 40% stake in the company set up to manage the complex.

HONG KONG, April 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Macau, once the world’s largest gambling hub, is far from a sure bet. For MGM China (2282.HK) and Sands China (1928.HK), the highest is two-thirds more than the lowest, for example. Uncertainty is compounded by onerous obligations companies have to help Macau reduce its dependence on gaming. Take $16 billion MGM Resorts International (MGM.N), whose Japanese resort received a green light on Friday. There’s also $13 billion Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O), which is pushing into the fast-growing United Arab Emirates.

HONG KONG, March 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Time may be on Richard Li’s side. By cobbling together acquisitions, Li has built a brand to sell life insurance across Hong Kong, Japan and Southeast Asia. The value of new business – a measure of the present value of future earnings from policies signed - rose around 30%. Follow @KatrinaHamlin on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSAsian insurer FWD has made a fresh application for a Hong Kong listing, according to stock exchange filings published on March 13. A first attempt to go public in Hong Kong in 2021 was refused owing to concern over its dual-class shares.

Now overseas demand is slumping amidst a local credit crunch and a corruption crackdown. A trade agreement and warmer relations with Washington spared its manufacturers from tariffs and sanctions applied to its northern neighbour. Now overseas demand is stuttering. Vietnam's exports of goods and services have been slowingFollow @KatrinaHamlin on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSVietnam's economy grew 8.02% in 2022, the fastest annual pace since 1997, according to data released by the country’s General Statistics Office on Dec. 29. Vietnamese exports were flat in February and fell 23.4% in January compared to a year earlier, according to Refinitiv data released on March 9.

The $108 billion group’s sheer size means it benefits from exceptional economies of scale in an immature industry. Last year, it tripled both production and sales of pure electric and hybrid cars to nearly 2 million vehicles. That is equivalent to roughly a quarter of EVs purchased in China in 2022. The group makes batteries too, accounting for almost a quarter of China’s total sales last year, Jefferies estimates. Overall passenger car sales, including electric vehicles and fossil-fueled models, slumped 38% in January, reversing a 2.4% gain in the previous month.

LONDON/HONG KONG, Feb 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China has been a golden goose for western carmakers like Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE). Chinese groups like electric vehicle leader BYD (002594.SZ), (1211.HK) are targeting foreign markets. At JATO’s estimate of 56,000 euros, the average price of an electric vehicle in Europe is still too high for most punters. The lower cost of manufacturing in China may help Chinese carmakers absorb tariffs, while western groups could suffer from reprisals. The result may be that western groups have to jostle for a smaller place in their home markets but also cut prices, hurting profitability.

LONDON/HONG KONG, Jan 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Renault (RENA.PA) and Nissan (7201.T) have helped their 24-year alliance move forward after four years of stalemate. The deal marks the end of the French group’s domination of its Japanese partner, and addresses festering governance issues. The voting rights of the Nissan shares transferred to the trust will be "neutralised" for most decisions, the statement said. Renault shares fell 2.7% to 37.16 euros, as of 0837 GMT. Nissan shares were largely unchanged at 453.9 yen.

HONG KONG, Jan 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Macau is bounding into the Year of the Rabbit. Meanwhile arrivals from China and Hong Kong reached roughly 40% of 2019 traffic as of Jan. 13, per Morgan Stanley. That is remarkable given the mainland and Macau only relaxed restrictions less than two weeks ago. Melco Resorts & Entertainment , MGM China (2282.HK), Sands China (1928.HK) and Wynn Macau (1128.HK) have seen their leverage ratios swell. Ultimately to rebalance borrowings, Macau needs returning visitors to spend as much – or more – as they did in the past.

Follow @KatrinaHamlin on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSHong Kong-listed Apollo Future Mobility said on Jan. 12 that it had agreed to buy Chinese electric-car maker WM Motor Global for HK$15.9 billion ($2.02 billion). To fund the acquisition of its larger peer, Apollo will issue 28.8 billion new shares at HK$0.55 each. Apollo shares fell 8.6% and were trading at HK$0.23 by market close on Jan. 12. WM Motor Global filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering in May 2022, but the application lapsed in November. WM Motor Global’s owner, WM Motor Holdings, is the largest shareholder in Apollo Future Mobility, and WM Motor founder Freeman Shen sits on the latter’s board as co-chair.

Elon Musk’s will-they-or-won’t-they Twitter debacle kept readers on tenterhooks via Refinitiv’s platforms and our two websites, Breakingviews.com and Reuters.com. Another piece posing the hard-hitting question, “What is Morgan Stanley (MS.N) smoking in Twitter LBO?”, garnered plenty of clicks on Breakingviews.com and via Refinitiv. Almost a third of the best-read lists tackled the outbreak of war in Europe, and its terrible ramifications. Views on the rouble and the prospect of the country’s economic collapse demanded attention. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

If more female fans tune in, they will help Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali fuel revenue at his motor-racing division. Around 40% of F1 fans are now female, up 8% from 2017, and more women are attending races too, Domenicali said in November. One way to accelerate the trend could be featuring female drivers. She also boasts a fanbase of over half a million social media followers – more than the W Series itself. Unfortunately for Formula One, when financial pressures ended W Series 2022 early, she absconded to Andretti Autosport’s team for the U.S. IndyCar NXT races.

Search resuls for: "Katrina Hamlin Is Global Production Editor"

25 mentions found