The Analyst: Is Netflix going to be able to swim up-stream? August 7, 2021 In the middle of another summer results season, the outlook for many media and tech companies – like many other sectors – is generally positive. But bucking that trend is behemoth Netflix, where net subscriber additions – the bread and butter of the business, after all – missed analyst expectations by around a quarter of [...]
Huawei revenues collapse nearly a third as it peddles against US sanctions August 6, 2021 Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies has watched its revenue collapse by almost a third so far this year, as it peddles against the waters of US sanctions. Revenue hit $49.5bn in the six months to June, down 29 per cent, the group reported today. With its handset business struck by US sanctions, the UK’s decision [...]
China tech crackdown: From Jack Ma’s disappearance to online tutoring debacle August 5, 2021 Chinese technology giants once seemed untouchable, with billions of profits through aggressive expansion. But that status is now more uncertain after a year of Beijing’s sweeping regulatory crackdowns that have spread like wildfire across sectors. The saga started last October when Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who founded e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, criticised China for lacking a [...]
Does big tech have a blind spot? August 5, 2021 The giants of Big Tech have emerged as the undoubted corporate victors of the past decade. Throughout that period, companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google dominated the global marketplace, capturing ever-larger market shares and destroying upstart competitors in their way. These firms built impressive businesses, and investors rewarded their achievements with doubly impressive valuations: the [...]
US stocks struggle for direction amid weakening economic outlook August 3, 2021 US stocks opened broadly flat on Tuesday morning as investors tempered trading activity amid a weakening economic outlook. While the Nasdaq dipped 0.34 per cent, the blue-chip S&P 500 edged 0.03 per cent higher and the Dow Jones added 0.18 per cent. The reinstating of Covid curbs in many states of America, including mandating mask [...]
Tencent shares fall ten percent amid crackdown fears August 3, 2021 Chinese tech firm Tencent saw shares fall by some 10 per cent on Tuesday after the Chinese government labelled video games “spiritual opium.” An article posted by the state-run newspaper, Economic Information Daily, warned that a “new type of electronic drug” was “advancing by leaps and bounds”. Fears that Beijing might crackdown on online gaming [...]
China securities watchdog seeks closer cooperation with US after Didi crackdown August 2, 2021 The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has said it will enhance communication with its US counterpart on overseas listing after US regulators tightened disclosure for Chinese companies. The Chinese securities regulator said it had noticed the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new disclosure requirements for Chinese companies’ listings. It added the two sides should [...]
What does China’s stock market meltdown mean for investors? August 2, 2021 Chinese markets have hit headlines again in recent weeks. Geopolitical tensions surrounding trade remain, but market behavior and performance – particularly in the tech sector – has also come to the fore. We asked Tom Wilson, Schroders’ Head of Emerging Market Equities, what’s causing the upset. The Chinese government seems to be cracking down on [...]
First-half profits double at HSBC as bank reinstates dividend August 2, 2021 Banking behemoth HSBC appears to have recovered from the ravages of Covid-19, with first-half profits more than doubling on last year. The Asia-focussed bank recorded pre-tax profits of $10.8bn for the first six months of the year, some $6.5bn ahead of last year’s equivalent. The bank said all of its regions were profitable, with HSBC’s [...]
Wall Street dragged down by sinking Amazon shares July 30, 2021 US stocks fell sharply on Friday morning driven by shares in Amazon sinking after the EU slapped the firm with a record fine. The blue-chip S&P 500 dropped 0.51 per cent, while the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 0.36 per cent and 0.66 per cent respectively. Shares in Amazon sunk as much as 7.1 per [...]