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☆ SoftBank's Arm aims for over $52 bln valuation in biggest US IPO of the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Manya Saini | Thomson Reuters | Manya Saini Reports On Prominent Publicly Listed U.S. Financial Firms Including Wall Street S Biggest Banks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The valuation that Arm is chasing now represents a climb-down from the $64 billion valuation at which SoftBank last month acquired the 25% stake it did not already own in the company from its $100 billion Vision Fund. Jamie Mills O’Brien, portfolio manager at British fund manager Abrdn, said he found SoftBank's valuation ask in the IPO "more palatable than initially discussed." REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsReuters first reported on SoftBank's proposed price range for the IPO on Saturday. If the underwriters exercise their right to buy shares in Arm in full as part of 'greenshoe option', it would take the IPO amount to be raised to $5.2 billion. Arm expects to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "ARM".

Persons: Group's, SoftBank, Jamie Mills O’Brien, Abrdn, Kim Kyung, Sara Russo, Bernstein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Manya Saini, Pablo Mayo, Arun Koyyur, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Vision, Nvidia Corp, Apple, Nvidia, Devices, Intel, Samsung Electronics, REUTERS, Rights Reuters, Acorn Computers, Apple Computer, VLSI Technology, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, SoftBank, Barclays, JPMorgan, Mizuho Financial Group, underwriters, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: United Kingdom, China, United States, New York, Tokyo, Japan, Bengaluru, London

☆ Apple inks new long-term deal with Arm for chip technology - filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 5 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) has signed a new deal with Arm for chip technology that "extends beyond 2040," according to Arm's initial public offering documents filed on Tuesday. Arm unveiled pricing on Tuesday for what it hopes will be a $52 billion initial public offering, which would be the largest such deal in the U.S. this year. Apple uses Arm's technology in the processes of designing its own custom chips for its iPhones, iPads and Macs. Apple was among a number of large technology companies that that on Tuesday invested $735 million in Arm's initial public offering. Arm declined to comment beyond its filings, and Apple did not immediately return a request for comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Arm, Newton, Stephen Nellis, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank, Apple, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, United Kingdom, San Francisco

☆ Arm is headed for a $52 billion IPO that's set to draw tech titans like Apple and Nvidia. Here's what to know about the biggest US stock debut of the year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Softbank Group-owned chip designer Arm is targeting a $52 billion IPO in September. The launch is set to draw big investment from tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, Samsung, and Google. The debut is expected to be the largest of 2023, and it could mark a turning point for the sluggish IPO market. A revival of IPOsIt's possible that the blockbuster stock launch marks a turning point for what's been a relatively muted IPO market since 2022. Arm could help pave the way for other tech firms and startups who's plans for an IPO have stalled through the downturn.

Persons: Softbank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, what's, Rob Wotczak, Masayoshi, Instacart, Wotczak Organizations: Softbank, Apple, Nvidia, Samsung, Google, Service, New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street Journal, Fund, Nasdaq, Intel, TSMC, Devices, underwriters, Arm's, Barclays, JPMorgan, Mizuho Financial Group, Bloomberg, Freedom Capital Markets, Vision Locations: Wall, Silicon, London, New York, Saudi

☆ Chinese data center operator Chindata to go private in $3.16 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Chindata Group said on Friday it would go private in a sweetened $3.16 billion deal with investor Bain Capital, ending months of uncertainty over the future of the Chinese data center operator that also received interest from China Merchants Group. It also marks a premium of about 43% to the closing price of Chindata shares before the initial approach was made public. U.S.-listed shares of Chindata, which operates data centers in China, India and Southeast Asia, rose 3% after the bell. Data centers operators have enjoyed a surge in demand in recent years as more businesses take to the web. The go-private deal announced on Friday will be funded through a combination of cash and debt financing provided by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Chindata said.

Persons: Chindata, Manya Saini, Shinjini Organizations: Chindata, Bain Capital, China Merchants Group, Nasdaq, China Merchants Capital, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Chindata, China, India, Southeast Asia, Bengaluru

☆ This under-the-radar biotech could be the next way to play the obesity drug boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"With 8 direct and 15 indirect catalysts in the next ~12-18 months, we see several near-term opportunities to further drive GPCR shares," Rahimi wrote in a research note. Structure's ticker symbol is a nod to the company's research, which focuses on G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, a growing area of drug development. GSBR-1290 is Structure's GLP-1R agonist that is being studied as treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity. If successful, the drug could one day compete against Novo Nordisk's blockbusters Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro. Separately, the analyst said Structure's other early stage drug candidate, LTSE-2578, provides further upside as investors have largely overlooked the opportunity it provides.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Yasmeen, Rahimi, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Wegovy Organizations: Therapeutics, Novo, ShouTi Inc, Nasdaq Locations: San Francisco, Shanghai

The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF is up 5.4% since Friday, while back home the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (.CSIH11136) is up nearly 3%. Yet China tech valuations have been gutted in the nearly 3 years since Ant was forced to shelve its initial share offering, and fund managers see plenty of headwinds, apart from just policy scrutiny. "The government has learned that the private sector - particularly the tech sector - is a critical partner in jump-starting growth. The government will continue to exert pressure on key tech companies even as they allow growth to resume," he said. For some sell-side analysts, though, China tech has turned a corner.

Persons: Jack Ma, Jon Withaar, Ant, Wong Kok Hoi, Wong, Kai Kong Chay, Derrick Irwin, Xi Jinping's, Alibaba's ADRs, Morgan Stanley, Min Lan Tan, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: Group, Alibaba, HK, Pictet Asset Management, CSI China, CSI Overseas, CSI Overseas China Internet, Amazon Inc, APS Asset Management, Greater, Manulife Investment Management, UBS Global Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Asia, Hong Kong, Alibaba, CSI Overseas China, Singapore, Greater China, Boston

Baidu's revenue rose 10% to 31.14 billion yuan ($4.54 billion) in the quarter to March 31, surpassing analysts' estimates of 29.97 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. Revenue from Baidu Core, which includes search-based ad sales, cloud offerings and its autonomous driving initiatives, grew 8% to 23 billion yuan. Baidu reported net income of 5.83 billion yuan, compared to net loss in the year-ago quarter. The company's much-touted rival to ChatGPT, Ernie bot, has yet to be officially launched, despite having been partially unveiled to the public in mid-March. "During our testing of Ernie bot, we have engaged in close discussions with the regulators," Li said.

☆ China's Tencent Music revenue beats estimates on jump in paying users
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - China's Tencent Music Entertainment Group (1698.HK), topped quarterly revenue estimates on Tuesday as the Spotify-like music streaming platform benefited from growth in paying users, sending its U.S. shares 2% higher in premarket trading. That helped the Tencent Holdings Ltd-controlled company, which owns platforms including QQ Music, Kuwo Music and WeSing, snap five consecutive quarters of revenue declines. Total revenue rose 5.4% to 7.00 billion yuan ($1.01 billion) in the first quarter, beating analysts' estimates of 6.86 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. "We are glad to achieve a record-high online music paying ratio and expand ARPU for the fourth consecutive quarter. Net profit attributable to equity holders was 1.15 billion yuan, compared with 609 million yuan a year earlier.

☆ Hedge funds unimpressed by Chinese internet giants' peppy earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - A set of bumper earnings reports from the likes of Baidu Inc and other Chinese internet giants isn't impressing hedge funds and other investors who have cut exposure to the stocks and seem to be waiting for more good news. Despite easily beating expectations for their earnings and giving optimistic forecasts for the recovery in demand, shares in both companies fell. Mark Dong, co-founder of Minority Asset Management, who is based in Hong Kong, says expectations for Chinese growth are clouded by doubts over how Beijing plans to stimulate the economy and deal with external risks. The internet sector index (.H11137) nearly doubled between late-October and January but has since fallen 20%. Global hedge funds such as Bridgewater Associates, Tiger Asset Management and Coatue Management are big holders of China internet stocks, which makes the sector more vulnerable to the global economic cycle and geopolitical tensions.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Domino's Pizza, Lucid, Nvidia, Nikola and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lucid Group — The electric vehicle maker tumbled more than 18% after posting fourth-quarter revenue that fell short of analysts' expectations. Mosaic Company — Shares of the fertilizer mineral company added 1.4% on Thursday after Mosaic's quarterly revenue came in higher than expected. The company generated $4.48 billion in revenue, while analysts surveyed by StreetAccount were expecting $4.17 billion revenue. Domino's Pizza , Papa John's International — The pizza chains fell 11% and 7.6%, respectively, after they reported mixed earnings. Nikola — Shares fell more than 7% after Nikola reported quarterly revenue that disappointed analyst expectations.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Lucid, Nvidia, Dollar General, Sunrun and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lucid Motors — The electric vehicle maker saw shares slide 14% premarket after reporting that fourth-quarter revenue fell short of expectations. eBay — The online auction platform fell 5% despite posting fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped analysts' estimates as gauged by Refinitiv. The company also forecast current quarter revenue of $600 million and $640 million, compared to estimates of $622 million. Bath & Body Works — Shares fell more than 4% after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings. Sunrun — The solar company rose 1.5% after its fourth-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations.

Taipei/Hong Kong CNN —Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fell as much as 4% on Wednesday, after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it had sold most of its holdings in the chip giant. Just months before, in November, the company held about 60 million American depository shares of TSMC worth $4.1 billion, according to an SEC filing. Berkshire Hathaway did not provide a reason for the sale and did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment. Shares in TSMC, which accounts for an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced computer chips, ended Wednesday more than 3% lower. TSMC announced last year that it’s building a second semiconductor factory in Phoenix and increasing its investment there.

The company sold 10 million American depository receipts (ADRs) at $19 apiece, according to its regulatory filings, and shares closed at $21.05. The deal is the biggest from a Chinese company selling shares in New York since LianBio (LIAN.O) raised $334 million in October 2021, according to Refinitiv data. Chinese company listings in the United States ground to a halt in 2021 after the debut of ride hailing giant Didi Global Inc (92Sy.MU) in June of that year. As a result, Chinese listings in the United States dwindled and mainland regulators also moved to draw up new guidelines governing companies selling shares overseas. Chinese companies raised nearly $230 million in U.S. listings in 2022, according to Refinitiv data, representing a massive drop from $12.85 billion a year earlier.

☆ Morgan Stanley says China's market will be the biggest winner in 2023 and these stocks stand out
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Since the turn of the year, investment banks have become increasingly bullish on the world's second-largest economy, upgrading their outlook on its stocks. But Morgan Stanley is going even further: It's predicting that Chinese stocks will beat global markets this year. "This actually implies that the Chinese equity market will top global equity market performance for 2023. So, this is the time to get back into China," Wang said. Stock picks Wang said the "number one trade" she would recommend to investors is to buy "large-cap, highly liquid" Chinese internet names.

☆ China's Baidu beats Q3 revenue estimates as ad sales recover
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Baidu Inc's (9988.HK) third-quarter revenue beat Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, as China's search engine giant benefited from a recovery in online advertising sales and growth in its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) business. The company has been looking to grow its cloud and AI business, which includes autonomous driving, to diversify its revenue sources. Baidu's revenue rose 2% to 32.54 billion yuan ($4.56 billion) in the three months ended Sept. 30, beating the 31.79 billion yuan average estimate of 20 analysts, according to Refinitiv data. The company's operating income rose to 5.32 billion yuan from 2.31 billion yuan a year earlier. ($1 = 7.1388 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's JD.com says worst is over for consumer demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Research house TH Data Capital noted in a report that sales growth at JD.com in September was better than that in July and August, driven mainly by consumer electronics, home appliance and FMCG. Revenue grew to 243.5 billion yuan ($34.21 billion) in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a Refinitiv consensus estimate from 22 analysts of 242.81 billion yuan. Rival Alibaba reported 3% revenue growth in the three months ended Sept. 30. JD.com's quarterly net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was 6 billion yuan, compared with a net loss of 2.8 billion yuan a year earlier. Excluding one-off items, JD.com earned 6.27 yuan per American Depository Share, beating expectations of a 4.44 yuan profit per ADS.

☆ Alibaba quarterly revenue misses expectations as spending slows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) posted a smaller-than-expected rise in quarterly revenue on Thursday as COVID-19 curbs and a worsening economic outlook stifled consumer spending. Alibaba has also had to contend with stiff competition from the likes of Pinduoduo (PDD.O) and ByteDance's Douyin - the Chinese version of Tiktok - which have expanded their e-commerce offerings and taken more market share. Revenue grew 3% to 207.18 billion yuan ($28.96 billion) in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a Refinitiv consensus estimate of 208.62 billion yuan drawn from 25 analysts. Excluding one-off items, Alibaba earned 12.92 yuan per American Depository Share. ($1 = 7.1540 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru and Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Tencent Music Entertainment Corp beat analyst estimates for third-quarter revenue and profit, boosted by a recovery in advertising sales and an increase in the number of paying users on the Chinese music streaming company's platform. Tencent has been ramping up its original content slate to help put more users behind a paywall. Paying users at its online music streaming service rose to 85.3 million in the quarter from 82.7 million in the second quarter, the earnings statement showed. Net profit attributable to equity holders was 1.06 billion yuan, up from 740 million yuan in the same period last year. Yip said Tencent Music expects its long-form audio content to break even on a gross margin basis by the end of next year.

☆ TSMC stock surges after Warren Buffett's company buys $4 billion stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN Business —Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company surged on Tuesday after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it had purchased a $4.1 billion stake in one of the world’s largest chipmakers. Shares of TSMC were up over 8% in Taiwan on Tuesday. “TSMC welcomes all investors with the propensity to buy and hold TSMC’s stock,” a spokesperson for the chipmaker said. TSMC accounts for an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced computer chips, supplying tech giants including Apple (AAPL) and Qualcomm (QCOM). Experts fear that these controls could shift the tech arms race between the United States and China to a whole new level.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reveals it built a $4 billion stake in Taiwan Semiconductor - and added Jefferies to its stock portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a new, $4 billion stake in Taiwan Semiconductor. Berkshire boosted its Chevron and Oxy bets, and slashed its wagers on US Bancorp and BNY Mellon. The total value of Berkshire's US stock portfolio, which excludes overseas holdings such as BYD, declined slightly to $296 billion. The report revealed it spent a net $3.7 billion on stocks in the period, and foreshadowed its enlarged Chevron stake. It also roughly quadrupled it stake in Chevron in the first quarter, and now counts the oil major among the five most-valuable holdings in its stock portfolio.

☆ These beaten up U.S.-listed Chinese stocks are reading at attractive levels, Evercore ISI says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There may be an opportunity for investors to boost performance by snapping up shares of U.S.-listed Chinese stocks trading at a relative discount to their pandemic highs, according to Evercore ISI. "Despite the obvious challenges, we view risk/reward as attractive," analysts led by Julian Emanuel wrote in a Sunday note. "China US ADRs that have fallen significantly from their Pandemic Peak but have had favorable 2023e EPS revisions — could outperform." Evercore ISI screened for US-listed Chinese American depository receipts, or ADRs, with a market capitalization about $1 billion and that are down more from their pandemic peaks than Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which has fallen 47% this year. Evercore also sees a steep skew of expensive downside puts versus upside calls in the iShares China Large Cap ETF (FXI).

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