According to the Financial Times, the Chinese Ministry of Information and Industry Technology called for a crackdown "on illegal VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) telephone services" and is collecting evidence for legal cases against them.

China is a big player in most markets; however, when it comes to technology, powerful local companies hold sway. Last year Google (GOOG) fought a battle to keep its website in China. A couple of years ago, China set rules whereby all Internet content had to pass through censors before being approved.

Continue reading Skype Could Face Charges in China

Skype Could Face Charges in China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seems excitement about Apple's (AAPL) iPhone is truly global, as demand for iPhone 4 handsets has outstripped supply, according to China Unicom (CHU). Sales of the popular smartphone, which launched in China Saturday, came at a faster pace than sales of previous versions.

More than 1,000 people waited, some for two days, outside the new Apple Store that opened in Xidan Joy City shopping mall on Saturday to get their hands on the new toy.

Continue reading Demand for iPhone 4 Exceeds Supply in China

Demand for iPhone 4 Exceeds Supply in China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While Apple's (AAPL) iPad has been a smashing hit, there is an onslaught of competitors gunning for the market. These include Windows 7 slates and also $35 Indian tablets. There's even buzz that Research In Motion (RIMM) will come out with the BlackPad.

So, to keep up its lead, Apple is working furiously to build supply as well as penetrate new markets. And yes, it looks like the company will move into China, perhaps as early as next month. To this end, China Unicom (CHU) will be the exclusive carrier for the iPad. This will also include the distribution of the highly popular iPhone 4.

Continue reading iPad's Next Stop? China

iPad's Next Stop? China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (AAPL) saw limited success in China when it recently debuted its iPhone there. Although the Chinese really weren't all that impressed by the device's requirement of an expensive calling plan from Apple partner China Unicom, the iPhone has sold fairly well since its debut. Or, it has sold poorly depending on your perspective.

In two months, China Unicom has sold a little over 100,000 Apple iPhones. Compare that with China Mobile, China Unicom's largest competitor and the largest mobile carrier in China, which apparently doesn't feel threatened by the lackluster sales performance of the iPhone. Indeed, a mobile market with a 1.3 billion potential customer base and the comparison of 100,000 handsets sold for a device that has seemingly revolutionized the entire mobile industry don't appear to belong in the same sentence, right?

Continue reading Apple iPhone sales pick up in China, but still at dismal pace

Apple iPhone sales pick up in China, but still at dismal pace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple's iPhone sees lukewarm reception in China debut

Apple's iPhone sees lukewarm reception in China debut originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"China is the world's biggest market for telecom services," notes Geoffrey Seiler, in an in-depth review of the leading Chinese telecom and wireless phone companies.

In his BullMarket.com, he looks at "China Mobile (NYSE: CHL), China Unicom (NYSE: CHU), and China Telecom (NYSE: CHA) noting,"There is still a lot of wireless growth potential in the world's most populated country. As such, we would expect all three to continue to grow for the foreseeable future."

Seiler explains, "China Mobile is the undisputed king of mobile from a subscriber base standpoint. Through the end of June, the company boasted 493 million subscribers. The company boasts 70% of the Chinese market.

Continue reading Investing in China telecoms: A trio of wireless plays

Investing in China telecoms: A trio of wireless plays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading China Unicom (CHU) will sell iPhone

China Unicom (CHU) will sell iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. stock markets are poised to rise today as more and more positive data convinces Wall Street that the economic recovery is for real.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite Index and the S&P 500 Index were all indicated higher following a rally in overseas markets. Germany's Dax, France's CAC-40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 all posted strong gains. Japan's Nikkei 25 also rose while China's Hang Seng declined.

For those looking for silver linings, there are plenty to choose.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks continue rally as investors bet recovery is for real

Before the bell: Stocks continue rally as investors bet recovery is for real originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple rumored to officially enter Chinese mobile market with China Unicom

Apple rumored to officially enter Chinese mobile market with China Unicom originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"China Unicom (NYSE: CHU) could be one of the best ways to play China's astounding economic growth," says Brandon Clay in Invest with an Edge. Here's the growth advisor's review.

"With the world's largest population as its market, the mobile phone industry in China is set to soar. This makes China Unicom a compelling play. The firm has 21% market share in China.

"China Unicom's vice president recently said the company is targeting subscriber growth of 20 million to 30 million within a year. To put that into context, Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile phone carrier in the U.S., had 72.1 million subscribers at the end of last year.

Continue reading China Unicom (CHU): Set to soar?

China Unicom (CHU): Set to soar? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a 12-article feature on the best bets for investing in China. To see all the other recommendations in this special report, click here.

"Holding both of China's largest wireless carriers -- China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) and China Unicom (NYSE: CHU) gives investors something of a hedge in the event that one company takes a large amount of business from the other," says China expert Jim Trippon.

In his The China Stock Alert, he adds, "Although this is a safety measure for investors, we don't expect massive erosion in either company's subscriber base as the telecom sector and 3G service continue to expand in China.

Continue reading China expert calls on wireless

China expert calls on wireless originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those surprised by the market's strength in recent weeks should be even more impressed with the rebound in China, where both their market and economy have proven among the most resilient in the world.

Global specialist Nicholas Vardy adds, "While the US markets are rising, Asian stocks are on fire." ETF expert Paul Tracy adds, "China funds have screamed to the top of the performance charts."

In large part, this strength is due to the country's stimulus program. Tracy points out, "To combat the sagging global economy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao orchestrated a massive 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package.

Continue reading Investing in China: 12 experts pick their best bets

Investing in China: 12 experts pick their best bets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 May 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (NYSE: CHU) is our top investment pick for 2009," says Jim Trippon, China expert and editor of The China Stock Digest.

The advisor explains, "China Unicom is involved in the cellular telephone business in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China. The company is also a major provider of data and Internet services in the People's Republic of China.

"We like the fact that this company is dependant on local Chinese customers and is fairly well insulated from the global economic downturn.

"We have selected China Unicom as our top pick for 2009 based on valuation. The China Stock Digest uses a Warren Buffet/Benjamin Graham style of stock picking.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (CHU)

Top Stock Picks '09: China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (CHU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Fortress (NYSE: FIG) was upgraded at Citigroup to Hold from Sell.
• Prudential (NYSE: PUK) was lifted to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Franklin Resources (NYSE: BEN) to Outperform from Market Perform and added shares to their Best Ideas List on valuation as they see an attractive risk/reward at current levels.
• UBS upgraded ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) to Buy from Neutral on valuation as they believe the company remains a market leader.
• Oppenheimer raised Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN) to Outperform from Perform on valuation following the recent weakness as they expect positive clinical news flow beginning in December.

• UBS downgraded U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) to Sell from Buy and lowered its target to $30 from $60 citing deteriorating U.S. conditions and concerns about the company's high fixed costs in a falling steel price environment.
• Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• China Unicom (NYSE: CHU) was lowered to Underweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.

Continue reading Analyst calls: PEP, FIG, PUK, BEN, ASML, X, RDS.A, CHU, SVR ...

Analyst calls: PEP, FIG, PUK, BEN, ASML, X, RDS.A, CHU, SVR ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Chip suppliers for cellphones including Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN) and Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) are moving aggressively to make products for Intel Corporation's (NASDAQ: INTC) new breed of pocket-size portable devices, called MIDs, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• According to the UK Times, Barclays Plc (NYSE: BCS) and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (NYSE: RBS) were raided by the Office of Fair Trading as part of the investigation into price fixing loans to professional services firms.

• Almost three dozen of the largest U.S. companies may have to slash their dividends, since the dividends greatly exceed their cash flow, Bloomberg reported. Large companies in this situation include General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), Motorola Inc (NYSE: MOT), and The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT).
• China Telecom Corporation Limited (NYSE: CHA) may announce today that it has bought the mobile phone assets of China Unicom Limited (NYSE: CHU) and its parent company for more than $14.4B, Bloomberg reported, citing the South China Morning Post. China Unicom could say that it is merging with China Netcom Group Corporation (NYSE: CN) as early as today, the newspaper added.

Newspaper wrap-up: Barclays and RBS raided by Office of Fair Trading originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Mobile drops as China restructures telecom industry originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 May 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a reorganization of China's telecom industry, which will change the face of the wireless industry, the country plans to merge two of its largest mobile companies, China Netcom (NYSE: CN) and China Unicom (NYSE: CHU). The new firm will be issued on of the three high-speed wireless licenses that the government plans to grant.

China's two largest phone companies, China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) and China Telecom, will receive the other two contracts.

According to Reuters, the 3G development will "unleash billions of dollars in spending for network gearmakers." Those companies would include Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Nortel (NYSE: NT), Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC),and Motorola (NYSE: MOT).

The news may also be a benefit to handset makers as they rush to offer products for the new 3G networks. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has still not found a home for the iPhone in China.

More competition among carriers will give it a greater chance to strike a good deal. A new market could also give some aid to Motorola's flagging handset sales and to rivals Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

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

China to scramble its mobile industry originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 May 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of Fluor (NYSE: FLR) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's strong performance and backlog in Q4 and raised their target to $190.50 from $158.
  
• Baird upgraded Forward Air (NASDAQ: FWRD) to Outperform from Neutral citing near-term growth initiatives that are gaining traction.
  
• Citigroup also upgraded shares of McDermott (NYSE: MDR) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's strong Q4 performance and rising commodity prices.

• RBC Capital upgraded Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) and ProLogis (NYSE: PLD) to Top Pick from Outperform.
  
• Credit Suisse raised China Unicom (NYSE: CHU) to Outperform from Neutral.
  
• Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Analyst upgrades: FLR, FWRD and MDR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street," bears believe it may be too early to bargain hunt among financial stocks, as they think there may be more bad news to come after Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C) announced it took an $18B write down in Q4.
• Analysts who follow China's telecom sector believe there are a few prime picks, including China Unicom Limited (NYSE: CHU) and China Mobile Limited (NYSE: CHL), but are advising investors to think long term, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• Iron ore talks with China's Baosteel have come to a halt after the company and its peers said price demands from miners BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP), Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE: RTP) and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (NYSE: RIO) were "far too high," the Australian Financial Review said.

• MiningMx.com reported that BHP Billiton has reached an "impasse" with South Africa's government over the conversion of the company's exploration leases to new order mining rights.

Newspaper wrap-up: More bad news to come for financial stocks? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Kevin Dann initiated shares of Penske Automotive Group Inc (NYSE: PAG) with a Buy rating and $25 target. The firm believes shares deserve a higher multiple given the company's reduced exposure to slower growing domestic brands combined with the increased penetration o luxury as a percentage of industry sales.
  
• CarMax Inc (NYSE: KMX) was also initiated at Kevin Dann with a Buy rating and $28 target, as they expect the multiple expansion to continue as confidence builds in the company's sales and expense strategy.
  
• Think Equities started shares of Towerstream Corporation (NASDAQ: TWER) with a Buy rating and $5 target and said the company is rapidly growing given robust demand fro high bandwidth services, market expansion, sales force growth, and higher ARPU services.
  
• Barrington believes Solera Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLH) is positioned to capture growth through technology adoption in claims processing by insurance companies, starting shares off with an Outperform rating and $27 target.
  
• Jefferies resumed coverage of Northstar Neuroscience Inc (NASDAQ: NSTR) with a Buy rating and $21 target, as they expect the company's Phase III EVEREST trial to yield positive positives, setting the stage for an FDA approval by Q109.

• Friedman Billings started shares of IPG Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ: IPGP) with an Outperform rating and $28 target and added shares to its Top Picks List.
  
• The firm also resumed coverage of Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: RSTI) with an Outperform rating and $92 target.
  
• ABN Amro started China Netcom Group Corporation (NYSE: CN) with a Hold rating and China Mobile Limited (NYSE: CHL) and China Unicom Limited (NYSE: CHU) with Buy ratings.
  
• UBS started RSC Holdings Inc (NYSE: RRR) with a Neutral rating.

Analyst initiations: PAG, KMX, TWER, SLH and NSTR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.