Changing China
Giant on the move
from George Chen:
Is China Inc still credible?
By George Chen
The opinions expressed are the author’s own.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao once said there's something even more important and precious than gold -- people's confidence.
In recent weeks, I'm afraid global investors have been losing confidence in Chinese stocks from the New York to Shanghai markets. Sino-Forest Corp became the latest victim of a slump in overseas-listed Chinese companies. The company earlier this week accused short-seller and research firm Muddy Waters of defamation for alleging in a report that it had fraudulently exaggerated its Chinese forestry assets.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of the hit to confidence over Chinese stocks, especially small caps listed at home or abroad, for example in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and even on the second-tier board of the London Stock Exchange.
If you look at yesterday's trading carefully, you may find investors suddenly became more cautious on small-cap Chinese stocks after the Sino-Forest case. There were already signs with the growing dotcom bubble exported by some Chinese Internet companies to Wall Street.
from Commentaries:
A “Wynning” strategy of betting on VIPs
Top-tier casino operator Wynn has always bet on VIP gamblers. Now it is adopting the same approach with its stock market flotation. Wynn is trying to trump half a dozen recent poor Hong Kong market debuts by shunning fickle retail investors and handpicking money managers who are likely to stay the distance. It remains to be seen whether this strategy can help justify its valuation premium.
Most Hong Kong retail investors sell their shares on the first day of trading for a quick profit. By putting 90 percent of the shares in the hands of institutional buyers, Wynn is aiming to avoid the hit when its shares start trading on Friday.
from Commentaries:
China might keep the weakest bank all to itself
Faced with a backlash against foreign investors, Beijing may
be tempted to offer shares in the last of its big four banks to
a domestic audience.
That decision may reflect China's new found confidence in
the wake of the credit crisis. But it also means Chinese investors
will retain full responsibility for the country's weakest bank.
