Continue reading Baidu Plans New Mobile OS

Baidu Plans New Mobile OS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG) has already signaled its intention to leave the Chinese internet search market after scuffles with the Chinese government over information freedom and censorship. The move leaves an opening for Chinese market leader Baidu.com (BIDU) and even Microsoft (MSFT). What about the ever-growing mobile search market in China? What is Google going to do there?

Continue reading What Google Could Lose in the Chinese Mobile Market If It Leaves

What Google Could Lose in the Chinese Mobile Market If It Leaves originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Baidu.com (BIDU - option chain) shares are rising today on reports that Google (GOOG) advertisers in China have been advised to switch to its rivals, including Baidu and Sohu.com (SOHU). This is on the heels of this weekend's report that Google will shut down its Chinese search engine rather than bow to the countries strict censorship rules. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on Baidu.

BIDU opened this morning at $570.48. So far today the stock has hit a low of $563.20 and a high of $628.50. As of 12:35, BIDU is trading at $581.05 up $30.81 (5.6%). The chart for BIDU looks neutral and S&P gives BIDU a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Baidu to Gain from Google's China Search Exit

Baidu to Gain from Google's China Search Exit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday was a good day for Baidu (BIDU), the Chinese Internet search portal, after some Wall Street analysts noted that the departure of Google (GOOG) from China could "benefit Baidu tremendously."

BIDU has traded well in the United States, hovering in the upper reaches of the $380 region -- but GOOG's decision to operate in China without censoring local search results after recent cyber attacks pushed BIDU as high as $470 before the stock settled into the lower $400s.

Continue reading Baidu.com Could Benefit from Google's Misfortunes

Baidu.com Could Benefit from Google's Misfortunes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Baidu.com Chief Technology Officer Resigns

Baidu.com Chief Technology Officer Resigns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chinese search giant Baidu.com (BIDU) gains more market share

Chinese search giant Baidu.com (BIDU) gains more market share originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With all the media buildup leading up to the Olympic Games in Beijing this past summer, just about everyone and their brother was bullish on the China/India emerging market theme.

"Chindia," as it was coined, was supposed to be the next great economic wonder.

The belief that these markets did not need American demand swept international investment circles. Forecasts of double-digit GDP growth continuing for the next several years became the mantra of emerging market funds, and Wall Street analysts got caught up in the commodity bubble, which burst a month before the Olympic torch was lit.

The widely held belief of global economists was that these two sleeping giant economies would lap America in a matter of a few years, as per all the economic extrapolations and white papers published leading up to the Summer Games.

Stocks like Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU), China Mobil (NYSE: CHL), China Life (NYSE: LFC), Huaneng Power (NYSE: HNP), PetroChina (NYSE: PTR), Infosys (NASDAQ: INFY) and Reliance Industries (not listed) seemed bulletproof given the revenue and earnings models being floated by the Chindia bulls.

Continue reading Best Trades of 2008: #1 Shorting 'Chindia' the day after New Year's

Best Trades of 2008: #1 Shorting 'Chindia' the day after New Year's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analysts at Pali Research today started coverage of Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) with a Sell rating and a $90 price target. The brokerage firm cited "short- to mid-term uncertainties," which it says outweigh current opportunities for the Chinese Internet-search titan.

Chief among those uncertainties is Baidu.com's "controversial" business model. The search engine has recently come under fire for hosting search listings paid for by unlicensed medical and pharmaceutical concerns. Last week, the company added to Wall Street's concerns by slashing its fourth-quarter revenue outlook.

Pali Research joins the majority of analysts with its downbeat opinion of Baidu.com. Zacks reports three Holds, one Sell, and one Strong Sell, compared to just two Buy or better ratings. While the shares have already shed 70.8% year-to-date, Pali's $90 price target suggests that the brokerage firm expects additional downside. This estimate represents a discount of 21.1% to the stock's closing price on Friday.

Despite BIDU's negative price action, option players remain relentlessly bullish on the shares. During the past 50 days, traders on the International Securities Exchange (ISE) and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) have consistently purchased more calls than puts on this Internet issue.

With the shares up more than 1% in early trading today, the bullish case for BIDU looks curiously compelling. However, considering the company's cloudy fundamental outlook, it's unclear just how long the shares can rely on round-number support at $110 before succumbing to the effects of gravity once again.

Elizabeth Harrow is an analyst and financial writer in the research department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. She is featured in the video series Schaeffer's Daily Q&A on SchaeffersResearch.com.

Baidu.com started at Sell, but option players remain bullish originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Baidu.com (BIDU) lifted by Google earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Baidu.com (BIDU) in trouble over possible censorship originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• If S&P 1340 doesn't hold, you're going to hear a lot of chatter regarding the March lows (S&P 1275) in a hurry. Be prepared. Be very prepared.
  
  
• One very savvy soothsayer, who I just got off the phone with, doesn't think we get there. He's looking for S&P 1320-ish as a long side opportunity. Just so you're hearing what I'm hearing as heck, we don't call him "As Good As It Gets" for nothing.
  
  
• Moi? Are you talking to me? You know my drill: I've got a pretty sizable ratio bet on (short crude, long oil), which I'm trading around as a function of price, along with some tertiary trading exposure, including Goldman (GS) calls.
  
  
• Speaking of taxi drivers, how long do you think it'll be before cabs are allowed to pick up multiple passengers in the Big Apple? That should help with societal acrimony!
  
  
• If you looked up "Where there's smoke, there's fire," you'd probably find a picture of Lehman Brothers (LEH)., this thing trades funky.
  
  
• I'm seeing a lot of stocks trade "wide," which is to say they're jumping around. That's a recipe for smaller size. Adapt, don't conform.
  
  
• Given the amount of typing I do on any given day, do you think I should get finger insurance?
  
  
• Baidu (BIDU) trades dry, so you see it.
  

Man, oh Manischewitz originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Jarrett Lilien, E-Trade Financial Corporation's (NASDAQ: ETFC) president and COO, who lost out on the CEO job last month to Donald Layton, is going to resign from the online brokerage firm, the Wall Street Journal reported; Layton doesn't plan to fill the position.
• Chinese Internet search firm Baidu.com Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) is poised for aggressive growth but must also confront a number of obstacles, according to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard in Asia," including a number of lawsuits regarding its music services and a vacancy in the CFO position.
• Alibaba Group, a Chinese Internet company , is in advanced talks with investors to finance its acquisition of Yahoo! Inc's (NASDAQ: YHOO) stake to expand its management independence, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• According to inside sources, the New York Post reported that billionaire Joseph Lewis and former Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) CEO Jimmy Cayne are looking for a white knight that could surpass JPMorgan Chase & Co's (NYSE: JPM) takeover offer for Bear Lewis and Cayne have reportedly reached out to several private equity firms and overseas banks, including Barclays Plc (NYSE: BCS) and Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS).

• Medical supplies boss Michael Mastromarino, accused of stealing the body parts of around 1,000 corpses, has pleaded guilty to several charges in a deal with prosecutors. The BBC News reported that the Biomedical Tissue Services company shipped bones, skin and tendons to tissue-processing companies such as LifeCell Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFC) and Tutogen Medical Inc (AMEX: TTG), which are in turn facing hundreds of civil lawsuits.

Newspaper wrap-up: Lewis, Cayne reportedly seek new bidder for Bear originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Baidu.com (BIDU) gets positive press from Barron's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are a few highlights of this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) beat estimates on strong sales and higher profit margins.
• Baidu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) profit soared on strong revenue from online marketing.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) earnings and revenue surged in the fourth quarer.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) missed expectations on rising commodity costs and lower profit margins.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) posted better-than-expected profits as rising grain prices spurred demand.
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) posted solid results on cost savings and debt reduction.
• Insight Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT) beat expectations and raised its guidance.
• LECG (NASDAQ: XPRT) posted a net loss despite a slight increase in revenue in the fourth quarter.
• Loews Corp. (NYSE: LTR) missed estimates due to profit decline in its CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) affiliate.
• Marsh & McLennan Inc. (NYSE: MMC) missed estimates on weakness in its insurance services business.
• Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: PLA) posted disappointing results on weakness in publishing and TV.
• Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) fourth-quarter and full-year results met estimates.
• Sierra Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: SWIR) beat esimates on the launch of new product s.
• Taser International Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR) profits doubled, which was in line with expectations.
• Visteon Corp. (NYSE: VC) posted a fourth-quarter loss on restructuring costs and write-downs.
• Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: WMI) beat espectations and offered 2008 guidance.
• Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (NYSE: WYN) earnings met expectations and were buoyed by lodging revenue.
• Zoltek Companies Inc. (NASDAQ: ZOLT) missed earnings estimates due to inventory buildup.

Upcoming results to watch for include Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX), Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI), MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM), JCPenney (NYSE: JCP), and Safeway (NYSE: SWY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Coca-Cola, Deere, Abercrombie, Baidu, Playboy, Taser and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Battling Baidu.com Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) in China with little success, Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is working with a Chinese company to offer free licensed music downloads, the Wall Street Journal reported. The new service is expected to be launched in several weeks.

• BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP) raised its bid for mining company Rio Tinto Plc (NYSE: RTP) to more than GBP70B. Meanwhile, the UK Times reported that Rio's new Chinese shareholder was preparing a counter bid for Rio.
• The Washington Post reported that Time Warner Inc (NYSE: TWX) CEO Jeffrey Bewkes is expected to announce a plan today to sell or spin off Time Warner Cable Inc (NYSE: TWC). Bewkes also is likely to signal plans to break up AOL in the coming year.

• Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (NYSE: BRK.A) Warren Buffett told Fox Business that he has no plans to bail out Ambac Financial Group Inc (NYSE: ABK) and MBIA Inc (NYSE: MBI).

Newspaper wrap-up: Time Warner likely to sell or spin off Time Warner Cable originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Global expert John Christy combines Asia and technology in the latest fund recommendation in his Forbes International Investment Report.

"Our latest buy is Matthews Asian Technology Fund (MATFX), which has been added to our Global Core and Asia-Pacific Portfolios. While there's plenty of uncertainty in global markets at the outset of 2008, the tech sector and Asia's economies both look well-positioned to weather the storm.

"The Matthews Asian Technology Fund gives you the best of both worlds. With $245 million in assets, the fund has delivered annualized returns in excess of 25% over the past five years. It invests in a mixture of both large-cap and small-cap companies, with varying degrees of exposure to 'technology.'

"Some holdings, like Chinese search engine Baidu.com and the Japanese social networking site Mixi, are pure technology plays, whereas Korea's Samsung Electronics and Japan's Sony fall into the more mature camp of consumer electronics.

"Telecom is also among the fund's biggest holdings, with China Mobile and India's Bharti Airtel among the top 10 holdings. That means the fund won't always deliver eye-popping returns, but it offers a bit more protection on the downside."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Matthews fund combines Asia and technology originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With stock markets continuing to free fall, investors should explore the option of tax-loss selling now. While harvesting losses on stocks to offset capital gains is customarily done in October and November, smart investors will realize that there is no reason not to do the same now. Over the last week, I have been working with my clients to sell their losers and realize the loss. Either they will be able to use the losses to offset gains which hopefully will come later on this year, or the losses can be rolled over for next year as well.

Those of you in former high fliers such as Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU), First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) who are lamenting your steep losses of the last month have no fear. By taking losses on those stocks now, you may actually profit from your losers.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. DISCLOSURE: Writer has no positions in any stock mentioned as of 1/23/08

Take your losses: It's never too early to tax plan for 2008 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China is beginning to admit that slow growth in the U.S. would be a significant enough drag to badly damage its exports and hurt its economy. "If U.S. consumption really comes down, that's bad news for us. That will have a pretty severe impact on our exports," Zhang Tao, deputy head of the international department of the People's Bank of China, told a group including Reuters.

Any slowdown is likely to hit the Chinese stock markets hard. Despite a recent pullback, the Hang Seng Index is up over 60% in the last two years while the S&P has barely risen. The Shanghai Composite is up over 300% during that period.

Downward pressure on China shares could affect many stocks listed in the U.S. Among the most vulnerable are probably those that have risen the fastest. That would include Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), which is up about 130% in the last year, and China Mobile (NYSE: CHL), which is up over 70%.

If a U.S. recession hits China, the markets there may have seen their best days.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com

China says slower U.S. growth could knock it down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Will Google launch Android in China to battle Baidu? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The news that Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU) was being included in the NASADQ 100 index is not just a big deal for the high flying Chinese stock, but rather continued validation for investors who look abroad to make big gains. The fact that another foreign company has been added to the prestigious index, shows that more and more large companies are headquartered outside the US, and that the real strong economic growth is continually coming from emerging markets. Investors tend to think of Latin America and China/South East Asia as the traditional emerging markets, but there is another market, that has also performed exceptionally well over the last five years, and in times of global market turmoil, has been a refuge for emerging market investors

That market is Israel. With more stocks trading on the NASDAQ than any other country in the world, Israel has learned that economic success depends on exporting ingenuity. With a very small domestic market, even though GDP growth is continuing in the 5.5-6% range, what intrigues foreign investors is the innovative technology that comes out of Israel. If you look around at the products you use on a daily basis, you will find embedded in them key Israeli intellectual property. Companies from Checkpoint Software (NASDAQ: CHKP), which makes the firewall that sits on your computer, to Teva Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TEVA), the world's largest generic drug maker, are just a small sample of this.

Today's news isn't just great for Baidu, it's more validation for emerging economies as a whole.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. Disclosure: Writer is long BIDU,CHKP and TEVA as of 12/04/07.

Baidu.com: NASDAQ 100 inclusion big for China and other emerging markets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.