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List Of Yahoo Internet Business Suitors Now Includes Time Inc.

Add Time ( TIME ) to the list of companies reportedly interested in exploring a bid to acquire Yahoo ’s ( YHOO ) Internet business, joining  Verizon Communications ( VZ ), AT&T ( T ) and others. Time has been studying the Yahoo bid for several weeks, reaching out to bankers to help finance the deal, according to a report from Reuters , citing a source familiar with the situation. Time is the publisher of Sports Illustrated, People, Fortune and Time magazines. A report from Bloomberg also said that Time is considering a Yahoo deal. Bloomberg said that Time could pursue a deal structure with Yahoo called a Reverse Morris Trust, a tax-free transaction in which one company merges with a spun-off subsidiary. Yahoo has reportedly rebuffed several potential buyers for its core Internet assets, including private equity firms. Verizon, which last June acquired AOL for $4.4 billion, has expressed interest in Yahoo’s core business. In addition to AT&T, other companies interested in exploring a deal for Yahoo include private-equity firms Bain Capital Partners and KKR ( KKR ). On Friday, Yahoo said that it had formed a committee of independent directors to entertain offers for its core Internet business. Also last week, Yahoo said that it will shut down seven digital magazines , following through on its layoffs and reorganization plans aimed once again at trying to rejuvenate growth. Yahoo in December abandoned plans to spin off its stake in Alibaba Group ( BABA ) and announced that it would instead look to possibly spin off its core Internet business and other assets, including its stake in Yahoo Japan, into a new company. Yahoo stock was down more than 1% in afternoon trading in the stock market today .

Amazon Primes Pump, Hikes Minimum Free Shipping For Non-Subscribers

Amazon.com ( AMZN ) shipping got more expensive Monday, as the company announced  it was raising its free shipping minimum 40% to $49. The move, of course, only pertains to non-subscribers of its Amazon Prime loyalty program, since those subscribers get free shipping on any order. Amazon’s latest move is likely intended to drive more Prime subscription growth and also cut down on shipping costs. Amazon stock rose 4.6% to 559.50 on the stock market today , moving back above its 200-day moving average for the first time since plunging below that mark on Feb. 3. Rival Wal-Mart ( WMT ) has a $50 threshold for free shipping. E-tail startup Jet.com uses $35 as its minimum, while  Target ( TGT ) has a $25 minimum. Wal-Mart stock rose 1.5% on Monday while Target edged up 0.2%. Amazon’s shipping costs have been ballooning as the company offers increasing rapid delivery times — including one-hour delivery in certain markets via Amazon Prime Now. Those costs rose 37% year-over-year in Q4, to $4.7 billion. Rumors continue to swirl about the firm’s long-term plans for its shipping program, as investors and analysts speculate that Amazon is interested in competing with established delivery companies such as UPS ( UPS ) and FedEx ( FDX ). Internal documents seen by Bloomberg seemingly support that theory. And, there have been reports of Amazon getting into the ocean freight business  — which one observers said could generate upward of $100 million in free cash flow — as well as leasing cargo jets and making a large purchase of trucks to haul packages between its fulfillment centers. The documents seen by Bloomberg suggest Amazon is gearing up to compete more with China e-com leader  Alibaba ( BABA ). Besides delivery costs, Amazon has spent billions of dollars on its fulfillment and sortation centers, the last step in the delivery process. Wells Fargo analyst Matt Nemer says Amazon.com captured 51% of all retail growth in Q4 2015 . Amazon’s Prime loyalty program offers free two-day shipping, as well as free streaming audio and video, among other perks. Analysts in general peg Amazon’s Prime customer count near 40 million, with some estimates coming in as high as 50 million. Prime members, on average, spend about twice as much on Amazon.com than regular shoppers. Prime members accounted for 57% of Amazon’s North American sales in Q4, and Prime members spend about 12% more every year, according to ITG Investment Research analyst Steve Weinstein. Nemer has told IBD that Prime is the biggest reason for Amazon’s growth, which during the past two quarters has exceeded 20%.

3 Big-Name Chinese Tech Stocks Rebound Ahead Of Earnings Reports

Loading the player… Earnings season continues this week with three big-name Chinese tech companies reporting: Vipshop ( VIPS ), NetEase ( NTES ) and Baidu ( BIDU ). Here’s what you need to know. Flash-sales site Vipshop is slated to issue its results after the close on Wednesday. Earnings are expected to grow 43% in local currency on a 46% rise in revenue. Vipshop is trying to rebound from recent lows. The stock rose 3.3% in big volume Monday, nearing its downward-sloping 50-day moving average. Vipshop gapped down below that level after issuing its preliminary results last quarter. NetEase also reports after the close on Wednesday. It’s projected to grow earnings by 52% in local currency, while revenue is seen jumping 121%. With a highest-possible IBD Composite Rating of 99, the gaming company is a member of the IBD 50 list of leading stocks. NetEase is working on a consolidation base with a 186.55 buy point, up 4% to 160.08 Monday. The stock is nearing its 50-day line and is trading about 14% below the pivot. China search giant Baidu is expected to see earnings fall 27%, with revenue rising 32% in local currency, when it reports after the close on Thursday. Earlier this month, Baidu said it had received an offer from two executives to buy its 80% stake in online video platform iQiyi in a $2.8 billion deal. Baidu recently tripped a bearish signal when its 50-day line crossed below its 200-day line. But the stock has risen five out of the last six  sessions, including a 2.55% advancen Monday. It’s currently trading about 25% below its 52-week high. And next week, Alibaba ( BABA ) e-commerce rival JD.com ( JD ) are both slated to report their results.