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Government bonds, which typically perform well when there is a dash for safe havens, sold off under intense pressure. The dollar rose to an almost one-month high of 132.85 yen while the euro fell 0.64% to $1.0726. Chinese equities fell on Monday, while the offshore yuan touched a one-month low against the dollar. European Central Bank and Bank of England policymakers will also be making appearances. Gold edged higher, with investors banking on the precious metal's safe-haven appeal as concerns about an economic slowdown linger.

☆ SoftBank Q3 seen under pressure from tech weakness, Arm IPO eyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SoftBank has said the initial public offering (IPO) is unlikely to take place during the current business year that ends in March due to market conditions. SoftBank is expected to post a net profit of 103.7 billion yen ($806.13 million) for the latest quarter, according to analysts' average estimate compiled by Refinitiv. That compares with a 29 billion yen profit a year earlier. SoftBank bought Arm, whose technology underpins the global smartphone industry and is used in supercomputers, for $32 billion in 2016. read moreOne notable change to SoftBank's quarterly announcement this time around is the lack of founder and chief executive Masayoshi Son's colourful presentation, which has been a regular feature of SoftBank's earnings disclosure.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I like Nucor over Cleveland-Cliffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Organon & Co : "I do not understand why this stock sells at five times earnings." Loading chart...Alibaba Group Holding Ltd : "It's the only China stock I'd buy." Loading chart...Cleveland-Cliffs Inc : "Why be in Cleveland-Cliffs when you can be in Nucor ?" Loading chart...Barrick Gold Corp : "I think the stock is breaking out here. Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Honeywell.

☆ Activist Investor Ryan Cohen Takes Stake in Alibaba and Pushes for More Stock Buybacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lauren Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Activist Ryan Cohen has a wide following among individual investors who often follow his lead. Activist investor Ryan Cohen has built a stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is privately pushing the Chinese e-commerce giant to accelerate and further boost its share-repurchase program, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Cohen, known as the meme-stock king for helping ignite explosive rallies in GameStop Corp. and others, built the stake in the second half of last year, the people said.

☆ Futures slip ahead of Goldman, MS earnings as China data hits sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.18%, S&P 0.22%, Nasdaq 0.31%Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures started the week lower ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, with downbeat economic data from China denting investor sentiment globally on Tuesday. Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) were set to wrap up a mixed season for big bank earnings with their fourth-quarter results due before the bell. Analysts expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.2% for the quarter, according to Refinitiv data as of Friday. The S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) indexes closed at one-month highs on Friday, with the former up 4.2% so far in 2023. ET, Dow e-minis were down 61 points, or 0.18%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 9 points, or 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 35.5 points, or 0.31%.

☆ Alibaba Seeks to Boost Sales Abroad With Buy Now, Pay Later
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Clarence Leong | Shen Lu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alibaba’s delayed-payment option will first be rolled out in Germany, Spain and France. SINGAPORE—Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. started allowing shoppers in Europe to pay for purchases on its international e-commerce platform only after receiving their merchandise, in an attempt to boost global sales as growth at home slows. On Monday, a fintech company called Splitit Payments Ltd. said it would join with Ant Group Co.’s Alipay to provide a delayed-payment option to customers of AliExpress, an online marketplace operated by Alibaba outside of China.

☆ Activist investor Ryan Cohen builds stake in Alibaba -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Activist investor Ryan Cohen has built a stake in China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Cohen is privately pushing the Chinese e-commerce giant to accelerate and further boost its share repurchase program, the newspaper reported. Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China Buys Stake in Alibaba Unit, Signaling New Normal of State Oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of an Alibaba subsidiary, say people familiar with the matter say. SINGAPORE—Chinese authorities recently acquired a stake in a subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., indicating regulators intend to keep the sector on a tight leash even as they move past an extended crackdown on the country’s internet-technology giants. A Beijing-based entity controlled by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet watchdog, took a 1% stake in a Guangzhou, south China-based Alibaba business on Jan. 4, according to China’s corporate registry. The cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of the Alibaba entity, whose media portfolio includes mobile browser UC Web, people familiar with the matter say.

☆ China moving to take 'golden shares' in Alibaba, Tencent units - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Tencent is seen at Tencent office in Shanghai, China December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoJan 13 (Reuters) - China is moving to take minority stakes with special rights in the local units of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK), the Financial Times reported on Friday. Seeking influence, Beijing began taking these stakes, called "golden shares," in private online media companies - usually about 1% of a firm - more than five years ago. These golden stakes are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain a board seat and/or veto rights for key business decisions. However, the specifics of the government's plan to take golden shares in Tencent remain under discussion, but they will involve a stake in one of the group's main China operating subsidiaries, the report added.

☆ China acquires 'golden shares' in two Alibaba units
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China Jan. 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, China, Jan 13 (Reuters) - China has acquired minority stakes with special rights in two domestic units of tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK), business registration records showed, as Beijing extends a campaign to strengthen control over online content. Beijing has been taking 'golden shares' in private online media and content companies for more than five years, and in recent years expanding such arrangements to companies with vast troves of data. These golden shares, typically equal to about 1% of a firm, are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain board representation and/or veto rights for key business decisions. Having such golden shares can be helpful to firms when they try to secure licences to disseminate online news and to show online visual and audio programmes, sources have told Reuters.

Shifts in tones at big banks suggest they are warming up to Chinese equities, especially as the strong returns so far and the fear of missing out on more gains start to apply pressure. "This is still a long path and we remain very bullish on Chinese equities ...and also the currency," he said. "When the market goes up, naturally that will attract international investors to look at China again," said Nicholas Yeo, head of China equities at abrdn. Foreign investors bought a net 41 billion yuan ($6.06 billion) of China stocks via the China-Hong Kong Stock Connect Scheme so far this year, compared with 90 billion yuan of China stocks bought in all of 2022. They bought a net 35 billion yuan of China stocks in December.

☆ Alibaba signs cooperation agreement with authorities in China's Hangzhou -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) has signed a cooperation agreement with the government of Hangzhou, the city where the company is headquartered, local media reported on Tuesday. China's internet giants have been in the crosshairs of Chinese regulators for the past two years, but authorities have in recent months given increasing signs that relations between the government and China's tech sector will thaw, which would bode well for the sector's prospectsThe government-backed Zhejiang Daily reported that at the signing event, local authorities formulated specific measures to help develop the online platform economy. The signing comes just two days after Ant Group Co Ltd (688688.SS), the finance company long affiliated with Alibaba, announced Jack Ma had ceded control of the company. The announcemnt caused shares of Alibaba and other Ant Group affiliated companies to soar, as investors interpreted the move as possible cap to a years-long regulatory crackdown on the Chinese tech industry read moreOn Monday, Guo Shuqing, Communist party chief of the People's Bank of China, was quoted by state broadcaster CCTV as saying that rectification of the financial business of 14 online platform companies has been "basically completed," though he did not name any companies. read moreReporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Megacap growth stocks Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) gained over 2% each as U.S. Treasury yields declined. The highly awaited U.S. Labor Department's inflation report on Thursday is expected to show some moderation in year-on-year consumer prices in December. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 4.45-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.54-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 12 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 107 new highs and 18 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"The number of jobs created is working its way down slowly and wages are starting to calm down. Money market bets show 75% odds of a 25-basis point hike in the Fed's February policy meeting, with the terminal rate expected just below 5% by June. ET, Dow e-minis were up 103 points, or 0.30%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 16 points, or 0.41%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 56.75 points, or 0.51%. Macy's Inc (M.N) and Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) dropped 4.7% and 10%, respectively, following dour holiday-quarter forecasts from both the retailers. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures rise on China reopening optimism, easing rate hike worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A key inflation report due on Thursday will provide further cues on the state of price pressures and the outlook for interest rates. The U.S. Labor Department's consumer prices index (CPI) report is expected to show prices increased by 6.5% year-on-year in December, moderating from a 7.1% rise in November. "Sentiment still feels as fragile as a teacup and U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday could provide a key test for investor confidence." ET, Dow e-minis were up 89 points, or 0.26%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.5 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 30.25 points, or 0.27%. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Other rate-sensitive growth stocks like Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) gained about 1% each as U.S. Treasury yields declined. The gains pushed technology (.SPLRCT) to the top of the major S&P 500 sector indexes list. The S&P 500 growth index (.IGX) was up 3.6%, outperforming a 0.7% rise in its value peers (.IVX). Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 3.68-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.15-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 10 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 95 new highs and 14 new lows.

☆ Alibaba plans $1 billion investment in Turkey, Sabah reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Turkey's Sabah newspaper reported Evans as saying in an interview that the company was looking to invest in Europe and the Middle East and that he sees Turkey as a very strong production base. "We have a serious investment plan at Istanbul Airport. We can evaluate e-export plans from here to Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. We plan an investment of more than $1 billion," Evans was quoted as saying. We are positioning this place as a base for Europe and the Middle East," he said.

☆ Ant Group founder Jack Ma to give up control in key revamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba founder Jack Ma attends the 5th World Zhejiang Entrepreneurs Convention at Hangzhou International Expo Centre on November 13, 2019 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Ant Group's founder Jack Ma will give up control of the Chinese fintech giant in an overhaul that seeks to draw a line under a regulatory crackdown that was triggered soon after its mammoth stock market debut was scuppered two years ago. China's domestic A-share market requires companies to wait three years after a change in control to list. Hangzhou Yunbo, an investment vehicle for Ma, had control over two other entities that own a combined 50.5% stake of Ant, the prospectus showed. "At least Ant investors can (now) have some timetable for an exit after a long period of uncertainty," said Clark, who is also an author of a book on Alibaba and Ma.

☆ Jack Ma to relinquish control of Ant Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Ant Group's founder Jack Ma will no longer control the Chinese fintech giant after the firm's shareholders agreed to implement a series of adjustments that will see him give up most of his voting rights, the group said on Saturday. Hangzhou Yunbo, an investment vehicle for Ma, had control over two other entities that own a combined 50.5% stake of Ant, the prospectus showed. Ant said that Ma and nine of its other major shareholders had agreed to no longer act in concert when exercising their voting rights, and would only vote independently. Ma previously possessed more than 50% of voting rights at Ant but the changes will mean that his share falls to 6.2%, according to Reuters calculations. "As a result, there will no longer be a situation where a direct or indirect shareholder will have sole or joint control over Ant Group," it said in its statement.

☆ Futures edge higher ahead of Fed meeting minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.20%, S&P 0.31%, Nasdaq 0.46%Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday as hopes of an economic recovery in China lifted sentiment, while focus was also on minutes from the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting for clues on the outlook for interest rate hikes. Minutes from the Fed's previous meeting, when it raised interest rates by half a percentage point and cautioned rates may need to remain higher for longer, are due to be released at 2 p.m. "The minutes of the latest Fed meeting will be devoured later, in a search for clues about how much higher rates will go before policymakers consider pressing the pause button," said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. ET, Dow e-minis were up 65 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11.75 points, or 0.31%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 50.25 points, or 0.46%. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) fell nearly 10% as the electric-vehicle maker missed Wall Street estimates for quarterly deliveries. Other rate-sensitive technology and growth stocks such as Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) were up between 0.6% and 2.0%. The S&P 500 shed 19.4% in 2022, marking a roughly $8 trillion decline in market cap, while the Nasdaq fell 33.1%, dragged down by growth stocks. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 73 new highs and 23 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Ankika Biswas and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S.-listed Chinese tech companies cancel HK-listing plans -The Information
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Major U.S.-listed Chinese companies, including Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) and Full Truck Alliance Co (YMM.N), have put discussions about a potential Hong Kong listing on hold, The Information reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. While the Chinese ecommerce firm has paused discussions of a potential Hong Kong listing, freight company Full Truck Alliance has scrapped its long time plan, according to the report. Companies such as Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK), and JD.com (9618.HK), have moved to also list in Hong Kong over the past few years to hedge the risk of potential delisting in the United States due to political disputes with China. Pinduoduo and Full Truck Alliance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms such as JD.Com Inc , Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) climbed around 2% each in premarket trading. With a handful of trading sessions left this year, investors are hoping for a so-called "Santa rally" at the end of what has been a largely disappointing month for U.S. equities. Economic data so far has offered little hope that the Fed could hit the brakes on its interest rate hikes. ET, Dow e-minis were up 147 points, or 0.44%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.5 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 5 points, or 0.05%. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures climb as China eases COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.62%, S&P 0.65%, Nasdaq 0.56%Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on Tuesday after China further relaxed its COVID-19 curbs, fuelling hopes of a recovery in the world's second largest economy. U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms such as JD.Com Inc , Alibaba Group Holding , Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) climbed between 2.5% and 3% in premarket trading. ET, Dow e-minis were up 208 points, or 0.62%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 25 points, or 0.65%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 62.5 points, or 0.56%. Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) dipped 3% after facing flight cancellations and delays a day after Christmas. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S., UK export controls hit China's access to Arm's chip designs -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd cannot buy some of the most advanced chip designs after the SoftBank-owned (9984.T) British chip tech firm Arm Ltd determined that U.S. and Britain would not approve licences to export technology to China, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. This is the first known time that Arm has decided it could not export its most cutting-edge designs to China, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The British chip tech firm concluded that the United States and Britain would not approve the sale of its latest Neoverse V series because the performance was too high, the report added. Arm launched its next generation of data center chip technology called Neoverse V2 earlier this year to meet the explosive growth of data from 5G and internet-connected gadgets. Reporting by Rhea Binoy in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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