Renren's Massive Loss: Investors Shouldn't Panic

From Seeking Alpha

China's social networking giant Renren (NYSE:RENN) has recently released its quarterly results, in which its sales increased from last year due to a boost from online games. The company swung to a quarterly loss from a profit in 2011 as it increased its spending on core products but earnings topped analysts' estimates. The near term remains challenging but the company is investing heavily in its future, which will make it more competitive in the long term.

The company's total net revenues have increased by 48.81% from the same quarter last year and dropped by 3.08% from the previous quarter to $48.8 million coming on the back of higher internet value added services (IVAS) revenues, which include services such as online games and daily deals website Nuomi. However, online advertising remains …. read more 

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Apple And Brazil's Growing Smartphone Market

From Seeking Alpha

Things do not seem to be working well for Apple (AAPL) in Brazil. The country's National Institute for Industrial Property has recently rejected Apple's claim to take up the iPhone name and register it. The country is looking to become the third-biggest smartphone market in the near future while Apple is one of the biggest players there. In this article, I examine Apple's case, the growing importance of Brazil's smartphone market and discuss the company's current stock, which has recently touched its 52-week lows.

Apple Vs. Gradiente

Apple lost the law suit to a Brazilian electronic maker IGB Eletrônica S.A, otherwise known as Gradiente, which has owned the right to the name "iPhone" since 2000, about seven years before Apple launched its iconic phone. Gradiente was awarded …. Read more
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European Oil Majors Are Eyeing India's Natural Gas Sector

From Seeking Alpha

India is home to more than a billion people with a burgeoning middle class and is targeting economic growth of more than 6% for the next couple of years. Like other emerging markets that have grown rapidly in the last decade, India needs lots of fuel to pump its economy but big oil has largely shied away from making significant investments in the country.  However, in February, two of the leading European oil firms have announced their Indian investment plans worth billions of dollars.

The Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), has decided to invest around $1 billion to develop a floating liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of Kakinada in the state of Andhra Pradesh as early as 2014 through a joint venture with the Indian billionaire Anil Ambani’s Reliance Power, India’s biggest private sector power generation firm. Shell currently has an LNG import plant in the state of Gujarat which has a capacity of 3.6 million ton; which will be gradually upgraded to 10 million tons by the end of next four years. The demand for natural gas in India has been growing and is expected to increase by 280% from the current levels to ….. read more
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Exxon Brings Russia's Rosneft To Alaska

From Seeking Alpha

The Russian energy giant Rosneft (RNFTF.PK) and the world's biggest oil and gas firm Exxon Mobil (XOM) have signed another arctic exploration agreement through which Exxon Mobil will get an additional 234,000 square miles of oil and gas exploration in the Russian arctic, while a separate agreement gives the Russian firm a 25% stake in Point-Thomson natural gas field. The two agreements were signed in a high profile ceremony at Moscow between Stephen Greenlee, Exxon's President, and Igor Sechin, Rosneft's President in the presence of Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The new deals … read more
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Apple's Bright Spot In China - Not Really That Bright

From Seeking Alpha 

The world's leading smartphone manufacturer Apple Inc (AAPL) has recently released its quarterly results that disappointed investors as its stock tumbled and Exxon (XOM) - temporarily - recaptured the crown of the world's biggest listed company. In mid-day trading on 25th January, Apple's stock fell by 2.32% to $440.4 per share as Exxon surpassed Apple's market cap by $5.23 billion. The sole "bright spot" in Apple's earnings was China. The country is Apple's third biggest market behind the Americas and Europe. Apple's quarterly revenues in China (including from Hong Kong and Taiwan) increased by 67% from last year to reach $6.83 billion. This was the biggest revenue jump that Apple reported out of all of its geographic segments.

Apple is clearly having an impact on this market, but so far, its numbers aren't really impressive. Here, it faces intense competition from Samsung (SSNLF.PK), Lenovo (LNVGY.PK), Huawei, Coolpad, ZTE (ZTCOF.PK) and Xiaomi Technology.

The Chinese smartphone market is growing and growing fast. In the final quarter of last year .... read more