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☆ Alibaba shares rise after it completes three-year regulatory overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba has completed a three-year regulatory "rectification" process following an antitrust fine it received on charges of monopolistic practices in 2021, China's market regulator said on Friday. In 2021, China's SAMR fined Alibaba 18.23 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) as part of an anti-monopoly investigation into the tech giant. Jefferies analysts said in a note Friday that the conclusion of the regulatory process was a "positive" for the company, which "highlights this is a new start and ensures compliance in operations." Ant Group itself also underwent a regulator-supervised rectification process, with most of the major issues resolved by last year. Regulatory concerns have been an overhang on the Alibaba stock, which has fallen more than 70% from its peak in 2020.

Persons: Alibaba, China's SAMR, Jefferies, Jack Ma, —, Christine Wang Organizations: China's, Administration, Market, Alibaba, Ant Group, Ant Locations: Beijing, China

☆ China's Ant Group doubles down on global expansion with cross-border payments offering Alipay+
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Photo of a person making a mobile payment. Ant InternationalChinese fintech major Ant Group is looking to boost its global presence via its digital offering, Alipay+, as it seeks to connect mobile payment apps around the world. The group's global arm, Ant International, introduced Alipay+ in 2020, allowing foreigners to use apps from their home countries to make payments in China and other countries by scanning QR codes of Ant Group's largely domestically-focused platform Alipay. Ant with its Alipay+ offering seeks to make the most of the early inroads into those markets. "We had the benefit that Alipay was already accepted in many merchants around the world so one of our first steps was [to] convert those merchants to Alipay+ merchants.

Persons: Douglas Feagin, Ant Group's, Ant, Feagin, Alipay Organizations: Ant, Ant Group, CNBC, Ant International Locations: China, Asia, Latam, Europe, U.S, Alipay, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan

☆ Vanguard sells stake in joint venture with Ant - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Ant Group is pictured at the headquarters of Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 29, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - U.S. asset management giant Vanguard Group has sold its 49% stake in a joint venture with Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. An increase in geopolitical tensions recently, however, has prompted some investing giants to split off their China arms. Vanguard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Ant did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours.

Persons: Aly, Jack Ma, Ant, Niket, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Ant Group, REUTERS, Vanguard, Ant, Bloomberg, BlackRock, Fidelity, Thomson Locations: Alibaba, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ China's earnings season is just getting started. Here are some winners to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Their screen found that home appliances, media and software sectors were among those that fit the bill. When it comes to individual stocks, HSBC looked for names where their estimates were most above the consensus. Top on the list is software company 360 Security, which HSBC's earnings estimate for the year is double the consensus. Baosight, another software company, also made the top 10, as did home appliance company Sanhua. But not all software stocks made the cut.

Persons: Price, That's, Ding Wenjie, There's, Ant, Didi, Ding, Goldman Sachs, Lei Meng, Meng, Steven Sun, iFlytek Organizations: HSBC, That's, China Asset Management, CNBC, Alibaba, UBS Securities China Equity, CSI, HSBC Qianhai Securities Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ What people are saying about Ant Group's $984 mln fine and share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 10 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group has announced a surprise share buyback that values the fintech giant at $78.5 billion, well below the $315 billion touted in an abandoned IPO in 2020, in a move that may let some investors exit. "And second, of course, we're talking about the share buyback plan. DICKIE WONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT KINGSTON SECURITIES IN HONG KONG:"Their share prices have strongly rebound today mainly driven by the expectation that regulatory pressure from mainland government will ease. Ant Group is on the right track to achieve their final target of an IPO." According to the company, the reason for the buyback is providing liquidity to existing investors and attracting and retaining talented individuals through employee incentives.

Persons: GARY NG, KENNY NG, DICKIE WONG, SUMEET SINGH, Xie Yu, Yantoultra, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Jamie Freed Organizations: Alibaba, HK, ASIA PACIFIC, CHINA, HONG, People's Bank of, Ant Group, KINGSTON, SINGAPORE WHO, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, People's Bank of China, SINGAPORE, COLOMBO, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney

China's central bank said that financial regulators would fine Ant and its subsidiaries a total of 7.12 billion yuan, require it to stop operations of its crowdfunded medical aid service Xianghubao and compensate users. Reuters reported earlier, citing sources, that Chinese authorities intended to unveil its fine on Ant as early as Friday. The sources had earlier said that the fine on Ant had been revised to at least 8 billion yuan. Reuters reported in April that Chinese regulators were considering fining Ant about 5 billion yuan, a lower sum than what they initially had in mind. Alibaba was fined a record 18 billion yuan in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Persons: China c.bank, Ant, Ping, Rukim Kuang, Jack Ma, Jeffrey Towson, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Didi Global, Alibaba, Julie Zhu, Jane Xu, Jason Xue, Kevin Huang, Meg Shen, Twinnie Sui, Josh Ye, Ethan Wang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Brenda Goh, David Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Ant Group, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Ping An Bank, PICC, HK, Postal Savings Bank, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba, Hong Kong, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Lens Consulting, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, HONG KONG, Ant's, Hong, Beijing, CHINA

Reuters reported earlier, citing sources, that Chinese authorities intended to unveil its fine on Ant as early as Friday. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), a new government body under the State Council, is now the primary regulator to grant Ant the license, they added. The sources had earlier said that the fine on Ant had been revised to at least 8 billion yuan. Reuters reported in April that Chinese regulators were considering fining Ant about 5 billion yuan, a lower sum than what they initially had in mind. Alibaba was fined a record 18 billion yuan in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Persons: China c.bank, Ant, Ping, Rukim Kuang, Jeffrey Towson, Jack Ma, China's, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Didi Global, Alibaba, Julie Zhu, Jane Xu, Jason Xue, Kevin Huang, Meg Shen, Twinnie Sui, Josh Ye, Ethan Wang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Brenda Goh, David Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Ant Group, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Ping An Bank, PICC, HK, Postal Savings Bank, Tencent Holdings, Tenpay, Alibaba, Hong Kong, Lens Consulting, Communist Party, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, HONG KONG, Ant's, Hong, Beijing, CHINA

☆ China's tech sector may see fewer regulatory surprises — not zero, says S&P Global Ratings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 10: A visitor takes photos of Ehang 216 electrical vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) during the Exposition on China Brand 2023 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center on May 10, 2023 in Shanghai, China. But the scope for surprises should be significantly diminished and they shouldn't result in significant operational challenges, as occurred in 2021," said S&P Global Ratings, in a report. "China's internet sector has emerged from its regulatory shakeup. Policymakers are signaling support and seem done with big legal changes or sweeping actions," said the report entitled "China's internet regulations: Fewer surprises, not zero surprises." China's crackdown on its large tech companies started in 2020, which saw the government imposing new regulations on tech.

While Alibaba announced it would split its company as a move "designed to unlock shareholder value and foster market competitiveness," " Fast Money " traders aren't so sure about buying the stock. The Chinese tech giant announced Tuesday it would divide its company into six business groups. BABA 1D mountain Alibaba stock However, a couple of the "Fast Money" traders are hesitant as to whether the stock is now a good play. This is a wait-and-see moment," said Tim Seymour, founder and chief investment officer of Seymour Asset Management. She said that while sentiments with Chinese tech companies could potentially have bottomed out, she is unsure how the split will be executed.

☆ Syngenta IPO delay rekindles past China fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Syngenta’s bumpy relisting path in the People’s Republic brings back unpleasant investor memories. The Shanghai Stock Exchange had scheduled this week a hearing, one of the last steps before listing. The exchange’s rules vaguely mandate that any “major issue” affecting an IPO would justify the postponement. It’s unclear how long a drag this would cause, but Shenzhen VMAX New Energy had been on a similar boat: its IPO hearing was abruptly cancelled in January, only to be rescheduled two months later. Ant’s $37 billion Shanghai IPO was pulled in 2020 shortly before its shares were due to start trading.

☆ Alibaba exit is first remedy for Paytm’s woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, Feb 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alibaba’s (9988.HK), exit will be a relief for India’s Paytm (PAYT.NS). The move makes sense for Alibaba, though Paytm’s other Chinese backer, Ant, may find it harder to cash out. Paytm’s languishing stock is up over 27% in four days following the better-than-expected quarterly numbers. That allowed Alibaba’s Singapore arm to exit the company at 643 rupees per share, a decent 10% higher than its average purchase price. That implies Paytm’s stock still has a steep climb before the Chinese payments group may be willing to sell.

But unlike ICBC and its peers, Ant neither took deposits, nor piled risky loans onto its balance sheet. Free from the red tape that binds regular banks, the loans facilitated by Ant ballooned. Digital offerings accounted for half of overall consumer loans in China, Fitch Ratings calculated in 2021. Ant is set to become a licensed financial holding company, putting it under the close watch of China's main banking regulator. Beijing wants Chinese consumers to consume, so is likely to indulge controlled growth of consumer credit.

☆ Ant-linked firms' shares rise after news of Jack Ma ceding control; Alibaba jumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Shares of listed Chinese companies that count Ant Group as a major shareholder rose on Monday after announcements that Ant founder Jack Ma is giving up control of the fintech giant following an overhaul. Ant indirectly owns stakes ranging from more than 20% to slightly more than 5% in those companies. Ant said over the weekend that founder Jack Ma will give up control of the company. China's domestic A-share market requires companies to wait three years after a change in control to list. read moreLi Nan, professor of Finance at Shanghai Jiaotong University, however said Ant's inherent problems remain after its change of control.

☆ Jack Ma's Alibaba, China tech giants are making a comeback post zero Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese tech giants are witnessing a dream start to the year. US-listed shares of Chinese e-commerce firms Alibaba (BABA), JD.com (JD) and Pinduoduo (PDD) added $53 billion to their combined market value on Wednesday. The surge comes as investors are feeling optimistic that Chinese regulators will go easy on tech firms this year and also introduce measures to boost growth in the industry. The change in sentiment comes after Jack Ma’s Ant Group won a key approval for capital expansion. Chinese tech companies have faced a sweeping regulatory crackdown since late 2020, which drove investors away.

☆ Alibaba, other China ADRs surge as Ant Group capital plan approval fuels hope for relaxing scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba has faced growth challenges amid regulatory tightening on China's domestic technology sector and a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. Chinese tech stocks that trade in the U.S. jumped Wednesday morning after Chinese officials approved an expanded capital plan from Ant Group. U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba jumped more than 6% in premarket trading after the news, as did stock of JD.com . The moves come as investors are seeing signs of a more relaxed Chinese regulatory environment. Correction: Chinese tech stocks that trade in the U.S. jumped Wednesday morning.

☆ From recovery to regulation: How China's tech giants could fare in 2023 after a bruising year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

But investors are starting to feel slightly more optimistic toward Chinese tech giants in 2023. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt's been another rough year for China's tech stocks. Xin Sun King's College LondonHow the exit from zero-Covid is handled could ultimately determine the extent of the rebound for China tech. Since the start of 2021, the Hang Seng tech index in Hong Kong, which includes most of China's tech giants, has fallen more than 50%. Firstly, Chinese tech firms have been cutting costs and exiting non-core businesses in order to boost profitability.

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