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☆ Explainer: What's next for Ant after its nearly $1 bln fine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After the fine, the next step would be to obtain the financial holding license, which is crucial for reviving any listing plans by Ant. A second license Ant is waiting to procure is one for a personal credit reporting company. IPO PROSPECTSThe resolution of Ant's regulatory woes has revived talk of whether the company's listing could be back on the cards. Alibaba, which has a 33% stake in Ant, said on Sunday it was considering whether to participate in the buyback. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase.

Persons: Ant, Ant ., Jack Ma, Warburg Pincus, Ant's, Roxanne Liu, Brenda Goh, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ant, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Reuters, Ant Group, Shanghai's STAR, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, China Life Insurance, China Pacific Life Insurance, Plan Investment, Yunfeng, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Canada

☆ Jack Ma's run-in with Beijing not only saw him disappearing for over 2 years, it also cost his companies over $850 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jack Ma's Alibaba and Ant Group collectively lost $850 billion in value since their peak in 2020. They came under pressure following Ma's criticism of Beijing, which spurred a regulatory crackdown. On Friday, Beijing announced a $985 million fine for Ant Group, signaling an end to the crackdown. In April, he was appointed an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong. Alibaba shares in Hong Kong were up 3.1% at 86.90 Hong Kong dollars apiece at midday, buoyed by news of the fine.

Persons: Jack Ma's Alibaba, Jack Ma, Ma, —, Ant — Organizations: Ant Group, Ant, Michelin, University of Hong, Hong Locations: Beijing, China's, Alibaba, China, Bangkok, Thai, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, University of Hong Kong, Japan, New York

☆ Wimbledon 2023: Order of play on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Sports category · July 8, 2023 · 5:24 PM UTCAthletes from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games to help them earn points to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Organizations: Hangzhou, Games Locations: Russia, Belarus

That represents a steep 75% discount to the $315 billion valuation in 2020 for what was set to be the world's largest IPO had it not been derailed at the last minute by Chinese regulators. "China needs to resolve the Ant IPO to restore investor confidence," said Wang Qi, chief executive of China-focused asset manager MegaTrust Investment. For the broader technology sector, Ant's fine marks a key step towards the conclusion of China's bruising crackdown on private enterprises, which began with the scrapping of Ant's IPO in late 2020 and subsequently wiped billions off the market value of several companies. "At the same time, initiating a stock buyback also indirectly informs investors that the possibility of a short-term IPO recovery is unlikely." On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced fines against two Chinese banks, an insurer, and Tencent Holdings' (0700.HK) online payment platform Tenpay.

Persons: Ant, Zhang Zihua, Wang Qi, Jack Ma, Hanyang Wang, Julie Zhu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Scott Murdoch, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: Saturday, Ant, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Beijing Yunyi, MegaTrust Investment, Fidelity, Reuters, Tencent Holdings, HK, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hangzhou, Hangzhou Junhan, Beijing, China

☆ Ant's share repurchase plan values firm around $79 bln, down sharply before crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It marked a sharp fall in the $300 billion-plus value ascribed to the company in mid-2020, before its IPO planned for later that year was pulled. Ant said it had proposed to all of its shareholders to repurchase up to 7.6% of its equity interest at a price that represents a group valuation of approximately 567.1 billion yuan. The repurchase proposal will also provide a liquidity option for the company’s investors," it said. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase, the company added. "At the same time, initiating a stock buyback also indirectly informs investors that the possibility of a short-term IPO recovery is unlikely."

Persons: Ant, Hanyang Wang, Jack Ma, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Josh Ye, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Saturday, Ant, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Tencent Holdings, HK, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong

☆ Ant Group's share repurchase plan values firm at nearly $79 billion, down sharply before crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 27: A logo of Ant Group is seen at the company's headquarters on October 27, 2020 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Ant Group on Saturday announced a share repurchase plan that values the fintech giant at 567.1 billion yuan ($78.54 billion), as the management seeks to replenish its staff incentive pool and let some investors exit after regulators fined the firm. "The repurchased shares will be transferred into Ant Group's employee incentive plans to attract talents. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase, the company added. On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced fines against two Chinese banks, an insurer, and Tencent Holdings' online payment platform Tenpay.

Persons: Ant, Jack Ma Organizations: Ant, Saturday, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Tencent Holdings, People's Bank of China Locations: HANGZHOU, CHINA, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

☆ China's eastern Hangzhou city signs comprehensive strategic agreement with Alibaba
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING/HONG KONG, June 29 (Reuters) - China's eastern Hangzhou city has signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK), according to a city government statement on Thursday. It is expected that Alibaba can expand its leading advantage in the platform economy, and reinvigorate the innovation momentum of digital trade, according to the statement. The eastern city also hopes that Alibaba could expand more new businesses and land more new projects in Hangzhou. Reporting by Ella Cao in Beijing and Meg Shen in Hong Kong; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ella Cao, Meg Shen, Toby Chopra Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, Hangzhou, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Starbucks, CarMax, Virgin Galactic and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the Starbucks vending van during its debut in Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejiang province, June 7, 2022. Starbucks — Starbucks shares lost nearly 2.5% after a union representing workers said strikes are slated to begin Friday in response to claims the coffee shop chain is not allowing Pride decorations at cafes. More than 150 stores, and about 3,500 workers, plan to join the strike occurring over the next week, the union said. CarMax — The used-car retailer popped 10% after beating the consensus estimate of analysts for its first-quarter revenue. Virgin Galactic — Virgin Galactic shed 18% after announcing a $300 million capital raise via a common stock offering.

Persons: CarMax, Armour, Wells Fargo, TD Cowen, Morgan Stanley, Evotec, — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound Organizations: Starbucks, StreetAccount ., Galactic, Deutsche Bank, Accenture —, Accenture, GSK — U.S, GSK Locations: Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang province, North America, Germany

☆ Gamers meet Games in inaugural Olympic Esports Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Edgar Su | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Workers set up the venue for the inaugural Olympic Esports Week in Singapore June 19, 2023. Building on the Olympic Virtual Series, the Olympic Esports Week is part of a drive under IOC President Thomas Bach to remain relevant to young people and embrace technological advances. "We've launched the brand Olympic Esports, and Olympic Esports Week here in Singapore is the first ever - super excited about it." "But they're also sharing a lot of similar values, and the Olympic values, like friendship, respect and excellence are all part of both worlds. "In esports we can see the same synergies, we can see the same values, and this is what we want to see during this Olympic Esports Week."

Persons: Edgar Su SINGAPORE, Siti Zhwyee, wiling, Zhwyee, Thomas Bach, Vincent Pereira, We've, Pereira, they're, Edgar Su, Nick Mulvenney, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Workers, Olympic, REUTERS, Elite, Convention, Exhibition, Ubisoft, Reuters, International Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Suntec, esports, Hangzhou

☆ Jack Ma reportedly proposed a restructure at Alibaba, and it has echoes of what's been happening at Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma held a small group meeting with top company execs in May, per LatePost. Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma retired from the company in 2019, but he was back advising the company in late May, per LatePost, a Chinese media outlet. Ma held a small group meeting with executives from the company's e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall, LatePost reported on Monday, citing unnamed Alibaba employees. Ma suggested the two Alibaba e-commerce platforms cut out management layers, per the LatePost report. And on Saturday, Ma attended the finals of the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition in Hangzhou, where Alibaba is based.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ma, LatePost, Alibaba, Mark Zuckerberg's, Michael Evans, Jack Organizations: execs, Meta, Michelin, University of Hong, CNBC Locations: Silicon Valley, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Douyin, Bangkok, Thai, Hangzhou, University of Hong Kong, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Alibaba founder Jack Ma gives first class as visiting professor at University of Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Alibaba founder Jack Ma gave a lecture as a visiting professor to the University of Tokyo, as the high-profile Chinese entrepreneur retreats further from his business empire following Beijing’s regulatory crackdown. His return was a symbolic move and probably a “planned media event” by Beijing intended to appease private sector fears, according to analysts. In April, the University of Hong Kong announced that Ma would join its business school for the next three years. Ma became a professor at the University of Tokyo on May 1, and his period of stay is until October 31, a profile page of Ma shows. Beijing needs the private sector more than ever to shore up growth and create jobs.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Jack Ma, Ma, –, Masa Son, Ma chatted, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Tokyo, Alibaba Group, University of Hong Kong, Damo Academy Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Shanghai, Beijing, Spain, Hangzhou

☆ Jack Ma appears at an Alibaba event in China days after an executive says he's 'alive' and 'happy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ma taught his first class at the University of Tokyo last week, per the South China Morning Post. Jack Ma has popped up at an Alibaba event, just a few days after its president described him as "alive" and "happy." Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported he took his first class on June 12 at the institution. He's well, he's happy. He's teaching at a university in Tokyo, spending more time in China," he said, per CNBC.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ma, Michael Evans, Jack Organizations: Alibaba, Bloomberg, University of Tokyo, China Morning, Damo Academy, China Morning Post, CNBC Locations: Hangzhou, Thailand, Bangkok, Beijing, China, Tokyo

☆ A desperate property developer in China said it would give a gold bar to anyone who buys a home it builds. Homebuyers say they're still waiting.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Chinese property developer is offering gold bars to buyers in a desperate bid to boost home sales. According to The Guardian and local media outlets, the property developer in question is Huafa Group, which is based in Hangzhou, a city in eastern China. Disgruntled buyers are raging over the gold barsHowever, some buyers have been kept waiting for the promised gold after purchasing a flat. A staff member at Huafa told Insider the Huafa Hui Tianfu development had "nothing to do" with them. Flashy giveaways are commonplace in China's property marketThis is not the first time Chinese property developers have dangled freebies to entice homebuyers.

Persons: —, they've, monthslong, Hui Tianfu, China's, Zhu, Xian, Shao, Xiao Qiang, homebuyers Organizations: Service, Guardian, Weibo, China's Twitter, Huafu Group, Jiemian, Huafa, Qianjiang Evening, Estate Development Corporation, China Index Academy, Bloomberg, Wall Street Locations: Hangzhou, China, Hangzhou Yuejia

☆ China's temple visits skyrocket amid economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Economic uncertainty has driven temple visits and tourism to new heights, according to analysts and travel websites. Temple visits have surged this year more than fourfold from a year ago, according to recent data from Qunar and Trip.com, another travel site. Social media has also fueled the boom in temple tourism, as young people like to share their experiences on social networks, she added. Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism Development, which runs the Jiuhua Mountain scenic area in central Anhui province, also shattered quarterly sales records. A small temple at Wudang Mountain in China's Hubei province pictured on October 27, 2004.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Qunar.com, Soeren, Yang Yan, Ryan Pyle, supplicants, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nanjing Securities, Social, Communist Party, Caitong Securities Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Qunar, Nanjing, Sichuan, Shan, Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism, Anhui, Jiangxi province, Wudang, China's Hubei, Hangzhou

☆ Ozempic is taking China by storm. Drugmakers are scrambling to boost supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Ozempic, originally a medication for treating diabetes, is in high demand worldwide with celebrities and social media users touting it as a miracle drug for weight loss. “This is a wonder drug,” according to a popular series of posts on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app similar to Instagram. Soaring pricesThe social media hype was so enormous that Xiaohongshu launched a crackdown in February and deleted more than 5,000 posts sharing weight loss experiences with Ozempic. Fill the shortageThe weight loss drug market in China is expected to boom in the coming years. Novo Nordisk has applied to China’s drug regulator to widen the scope of use for semaglutide, according to the National Medical Products Administration.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Ozempic, they’ve, ” Ozempic, Xiaohongshu, Ozempic, Kevin Frayer, hasn’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Daily, First Affiliated, of Sun, University, Novo Nordisk, Tebon Securities, National Medical Products Administration, ., CNN, Huadong, Intellectual, Beijing Intellectual Property Locations: Hong Kong, China, Ozempic, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Nvidia, Tesla, Coinbase and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors at the Nvidia stand at the 2022 Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, China, Nov 3, 2022. Nvidia — Shares of the chipmaker and artificial intelligence beneficiary popped nearly 6%, building on its recent gains on the heels of a blowout quarter. Tesla — Shares gained 6% following a Reuters report a private jet used by CEO Elon Musk arrived in China, his first visit in three years. ChargePoint — Shares rose nearly 11%. Devon Energy , Diamondback , Chevron , ExxonMobil — Energy stocks were under pressure Tuesday as prices for oil and natural gas slid.

☆ China is using AI to raise the dead, and give people one last chance to say goodbye
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

I would have liked to watch a few more episodes," the grandfather bot replied. Yu told Tang his grandmother needed the chatbot to process her emotions and mourn. As for himself, he declined to share his intimate conversations with his grandfather bot. Like Yu's grandfather bot, Wu's bot produced limited responses. "These emotions might have overwhelmed me too much to work and live my life," he told Tang.

☆ China's domestic travel recovery marred by anti-spending 'special forces'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. To get to the ancient temples, pagodas and grottoes she wanted to visit, she walked roughly 30,000 steps a day. "I can control the expenses, to go to many places for the least amount of money, but it is really tiring." "Maybe I didn't wear the right shoes, but my feet started to hurt after walking more than 10,000 steps," she said, joking that she exemplified "the battle-scarred version of special forces travel." ($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Can the Zibo barbecue frenzy save China from economic crises?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Zhu Zheng/Xinhua/Getty ImagesSo many tourists flocked into Zibo, now dubbed China’s outdoor barbecue capital, that even the local tourism authorities urged visitors to go elsewhere. A few may, but most won’t.”A shop owner shows off grilled meat during a barbecue festival on April 29, 2023 in Zibo, eastern China. The city Zibo became a tourism hot spot after videos of its barbecue went viral online. China’s economy is navigating a growing array of challenges. The informal trade might reduce unemployment temporarily, and give people feeling poorer a boost, but it “won’t save China’s economy,” Tsang said.

The Shenzhen-listed company, known for its flagship SF Express delivery business, has started preparations for the Hong Kong listing and aims to file the prospectus with the Hong Kong exchange by June, one of the sources said. SF Holding, which has a market value of 267 billion yuan ($38.63 billion), did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Bloomberg News on Friday first reported SF Holding's listing plans, citing people familiar with the matter. Its express delivery business covers nearly 100 countries overseas including the United States and Japan, according to its 2022 annual report. SF went public in Shenzhen in 2017 and listed two of its units - SF Real Estate Investment Trust (2191.HK) and Hangzhou SF Intra-City Industrial (9699.HK) - in Hong Kong in 2021.

☆ China's factory activity skids in April on weak demand - Caixin PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s factory activity unexpectedly dipped in April, a private sector survey showed on Thursday, due to softer domestic demand and suggesting the manufacturing sector is losing momentum amid a bumpy post-COVID economic recovery. FILE PHOTO: Employees work on a production line manufacturing metal parts for furniture at a factory in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China April 30, 2020. China Daily via REUTERSThe Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 49.5 in April from 50.0 the previous month prior. The reading echoes a similarly disappointing official PMI released on Sunday and reflects the uneven nature of China’s economic recovery, with services consumption, a key growth driver in the first quarter, outperforming manufacturing. “This suggests that China’s economic recovery significantly slowed after COVID-19 infections peaked at the start of this year,” said Wang Zhe, economist at Caixin Insight Group.

☆ China's skidding factory sector taps brakes on economic recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ellen Zhang | Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s factory activity unexpectedly contracted in April as orders fell and poor domestic demand dragged on the sprawling manufacturing sector, a private survey showed on Thursday, imperilling the broader economic outlook for the second quarter. China Daily via REUTERSThe Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 49.5 in April from 50.0 in March. The latest PMIs may lower expectations for the economy in the second quarter, said Zhou Hao, economist at Guotai Junan International. “But to what extent the economic recovery momentum will weaken, the market is not sure,” Zhou said. “The manufacturing sector will be under pressure in the second quarter, and won’t get any relief at least until June.”

☆ Chinese Travelers Swarm Domestic Tourist Sites, a Positive Sign for Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jason Douglas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Crowds in the departure hall of a railway station in Hangzhou, China, ahead of the so-called Golden Week holiday. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg NewsSINGAPORE—Chinese travelers hit the road en masse and thronged tourist spots in their vast country during the annual Labor Day holiday, an encouraging sign that the country’s consumer-led economic rebound is powering ahead even as factories start to struggle. For many Chinese, the excitement of the five-day break around May 1, which commemorates the labor movement in much of the world, was another sign of life returning to normal after the rigors of the pandemic.

☆ Jack Ma takes up visiting professorship in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Jack Ma has a new job: visiting professor in Japan. The Chinese billionaire has joined Tokyo College, under the University of Tokyo, according to a Monday statement on its website. In his role, Ma will work with researchers, serve as an adviser to the college and participate in seminars. In March, he visited a school funded by the Chinese tech giant in his hometown of Hangzhou, where he was seen meeting with students and teachers. Ma relinquished control of Ant Group in January as part of a shakeup of its shareholding structure.

☆ Jack Ma, the billionaire co-founder of Alibaba who disappeared from public life in 2020, has taken up a teaching role in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has joined Tokyo College, which is run by the University of Tokyo. Ma will be conducting research and teaching about sustainable agriculture and food production. Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has taken up a teaching position in Japan, one of the first public roles he has assumed since disappearing from the spotlight in 2020. In his new role, Ma is expected to conduct research on sustainable agriculture and food production, Tokyo College said in an announcement on Monday. Ma said in May 2019 that he would go back to teaching after retiring from Alibaba in September of the same year.

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