China Tech Stocks Fall As Shanghai Nears Lows On Growth, Debt Fears

U.S.-traded shares of China technology companies were mixed Monday after the Shanghai exchange had another big decline Monday, with one market technician warning that the index could re-test lows set in January-February. Ralph Acampora, analyst at Altaira Capital Partners, tweeted that the Shanghai exchange “is now expected to retest its January/February 2016 low at 2,638.” Baidu ( BIDU ) stock was down more than 3% in early trading in the stock market today . Baidu announced new measures amid a probe into sponsored advertising by health care outfits. JD.com ( JD ) stock was down nearly 10%, though the e-commerce company early Monday posted Q1 revenue that rose 47% from the year-earlier quarter. Qihoo 360 Technology ( QIHU ) stock was off 3%, shares in Sohu.com ( SOHU )  slipped 2%, while NetEase ( NTES ) stock edged down about 1%. NetEase reports earnings on Wednesday. Alibaba Group ‘s ( BABA ) stock rose fractionally Monday, while Sina ( SINA ) stock was down more than 4% and  Ctrip.com International ( CTRP ) nearly 3%. The Shanghai exchange fell 2.8% on Monday to 2832.11, after sliding last week. IBD Take: YY among the China Internets falling; IBD Stock Checkup can help you assess. The People’s Daily, the government’s official newspaper, on Monday warned that China’s economic recovery might stall. The economic trend may be “L-shaped,” meaning flat growth, rather than a stronger “U-shaped” recovery, said the People’s Daily. Even so, the article said the government will not use excessive investment or rapid credit expansion to stimulate growth. One concern among China observers is the country’s widespread debt. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, in a research report published Monday, referred to global investor George Soros’ remarks in April that China’s situation marks an “eerie resemblance” to the U.S. in 2005 to 2008, just before the financial crisis sparked the Great Recession. But BofA sees what it calls a better comparison, looking at Japan in the 1990s. “While there may be some parallels between the precrisis situation in the U.S. and China today, there arguably are even more important differences, including the nature of the increase in credit, extent of contagion risks to the broader economy, and scope for government policy to preclude or offset,” said the report. “Indeed, if we had to identify a historical antecedent for the current situation in China, a more applicable choice might be Japan during the 1990s. “That said, China’s unique situation belies any simple comparison with past crises in either developed or emerging markets, and warrants its own more in-depth investigation.” Another concern is increased scrutiny on the number of U.S.-listed China tech companies that plan to go private or delist in the U.S. in favor of China markets, where they have expected they could see higher valuations. China has said it is “reviewing market concerns about a record wave of businesses seeking higher mainland valuations with relistings there,” Bloomberg reported Sunday . Among companies with such plans, Momo ( MOMO ) stock was down 11% early Friday, while YY ( YY ) was down 9%.

InvenSense Sales Expected To Topple After Apple iPhone Shortfall

Apple ‘s ( AAPL ) iPhone shortfall could draw InvenSense ( INVN ) into the tornado late Monday when the sensor-chipmaker is expected to report its first-ever sales decline and its biggest earnings fall to date. InvenSense stock toppled 5.5% to 7, falling the most of IBD’s 41-company Electronic Semiconductor-Fabless industry group which was up a fraction on the stock market today . Fellow Apple suppliers Broadcom ( AVGO ) and Qualcomm ( QCOM ) stocks rose 1.2% and 0.1%, respectively, vs. flat shares of NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) and Cirrus Logic ( CRUS ). InvenSense follows radio-frequency supplier Qorvo ( QRVO ), which reported earnings last Wednesday. The consensus of 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters models $79.9 million in sales and 2 cents earnings per share ex items for InvenSense’s fiscal Q4. On a year-over-year basis, sales and EPS would be down 20% and 83%, respectively. It would be InvenSense’s fifth straight quarter of decelerating sales growth, and the first time the Apple supplier has seen sales fall vs. the year-earlier quarter. Earnings fell 14% last quarter. Three months ago, InvenSense guided to $77 million to $83 million in sales and 0-2 cents EPS ex items. During the January conference call, CFO Mark Dentinger noted a step-down at “the North American customer” — widely assumed to be Apple — and lighter sales in Korea. He expected Internet of Things sales to help fill those holes. On April 26, Apple reported its first-ever year-over-year iPhone sales decline and its first revenue drop since 2003. Teardowns show InvenSense supplies a gyroscope/accelerometer combination chip for the iPhone 6S. But InvenSense is forecast for 13% sales and 2% EPS growth in fiscal 2016 to $420.9 million and 47 cents, respectively, on healthier metrics earlier in the year. Apple shares rose 1% intraday after hitting a 2-year low on Friday.

China Internet Giant JD.com Dives After Mixed Q1 Earnings

JD.com ( JD ), one of China’s four biggest Internet companies, posted mixed Q1 earnings early Monday and gave an outlook slightly short of views. Its shares were among the many U.S.-traded techs falling after Chinese markets retreated overnight on renewed concerns about that nation’s economic recovery. JD, China’s largest online direct sales company, similar to Amazon.com ( AMZN ), reported revenue of $8.4 billion, slightly above the consensus of $8.35 billion and up 48% in local currency year over year. Its revenue has grown at double- or triple-digit rates for more than 18 quarters. The company recorded a per-share loss of 2 cents minus items, matching the consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Its Q2 revenue guidance of $9.8 billion to $10.1 billion was slightly below the consensus of $10 billion at the midpoint. IBD Take: JD.com ranks just No. 17 in its group. IBD Stock Checkup can help explain why. JD stock was down 8.5%, near 23, in morning trading in the stock market today , but U.S. shares of Alibaba ( BABA ) and  Tencent Holdings ( TCEHY ) were flat. Baidu ( BIDU ) stock was down 3%, near 168, Monday morning after it announced new measures  in response to a student’s death and a government probe into its health care advertising Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are China’s largest Internet companies, along with JD. Alibaba is China’s largest etail company, while Baidu is China’s largest search company, and Tencent leads in gaming and social networking. JD said its gross merchandise volume, which is the total value of goods sold on its website, rose 55% in local currency to the equivalent of $20 billion. “We had a solid first quarter of the year with healthy growth in revenues, new users and mobile traffic,” said JD CEO Richard Liu said in the company’s earnings release. Alibaba turned in a quarterly earnings report Thursday that largely eased concerns of slowing performance, despite a sluggish Chinese economy.