Xiaomi is a technology product and services company founded in early 2010, focusing mainly on smartphones and Internet of Things products and related Internet services. An early adopter of online smartphone sales, Xiaomi uses Android as its operating system but has its own customized user interface called MIUI. As competition in its home Chinese smartphone market intensified and growth has slowed, it has expanded into other markets and has become the smartphone market leader in India and is gaining market share in Europe. In 2020, from a country perspective, 50% of its overall revenue was generated in mainland China, down from 94% in 2015. The company listed on the Hong Kong market at the beginning of July 2018.

Xiaomi

Movers

Trading Ideas

VINO

Gaucho Group Shares Resume Trade

It appears that Tessica Brown, who achieved notoriety earlier this year as the &quot;Gorilla Glue Girl&quot; for using the industrial-strength adhesive in her hair, has received an extension on her 15 minutes of fame with her announcement of (what else?) a new haircare line.
Follicle Follies: The Louisiana-based Brown, who owns a daycare center, came crashing on the public radar in February when she made a sticky error when she substituted her usual Got2b Glued spray with Gorilla Glue spray adhesive. After 15 different attempts to shampoo the Gorilla Glue from her scalp, Brown revealed her hairy predicament&nbsp;in a TikTok video that quickly went viral.
&ldquo;My hair, it don&#39;t move,&rdquo; she lamented. &ldquo;You hear what I&#39;m telling you? It don&rsquo;t move.&rdquo;
Gorilla Glue reached out to Brown via social media and suggested either &ldquo;soaking the affected area in warm, soapy water or applying rubbing alcohol to the area&rdquo; &ndash; the company also dropped a reminder that its product is not designed for haircare.
Dr. Michael Obeng, a Los Angeles plastic surgeon, came to the rescue by performing a four-hour surgery for free. His normal fee for a similar procedure could run up to $12,500.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/06/21550454/ohio-restaurant-debuts-spicy-thai-cicada-pizza-what-you-need-to-know-if-not-eat">Ohio Restaurant Debuts Spicy Thai Cicada Pizza: What You Need To Know (If Not Eat)</a>
When Life Hands You Lemons: Brown, according to <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/16/gorilla-glue-girl-tessica-brown-launching-own-line-haircare-products-forever-hair/">TMZ</a>, has learned her lesson from this experience and is now ready to profit from it.
Brown has turned entrepreneur, launching the &ldquo;Forever Hair&rdquo; line for consumers dealing with hair loss and damage. TMZ reported that Brown consulted with haircare professionals on the product line &ndash; a hair spray, a sleek edge control and hair growth drops &ndash; and will sell the items via her tbforeverhair.com e-commerce site.
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/im_d_ollady/">(Photo of Tessica Brown via her Instagram page</a>.)

News

Entrepreneurship

Movers & Shakers

General

The 'Gorilla Glue Girl' Launches Haircare Line

Futures

Economics

Federal Reserve

Markets

Stocks Down 0.2% About 25 Mins Ahead Of Fed Interest Rate Decision Announcement At 2 p.m. EDT

Gaucho Group Shares Spike Higher, Halted On Circuit Breaker, Up 43%

Guidance

From Deutsche Bank Auto Conference: GM CFO Sees Strong Demand Environment To Last At Least Into Q4, Says Low Inventory Environment Will Remain Well Into 2022

From Deutsche Bank Auto Conference: GM CFO Sees $2B-$3B Worth Of Headwinds In H2'21

Activist Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>) investors recently won&nbsp;a third seat on the company&rsquo;s board of directors, and media outlets have reported that shareholder approval of the board shakeup is largely motivated by a desire to prepare the company for a lower-carbon future.
However, Bank of America analyst Doug Leggate says the Exxon boardroom drama has more to do with the stock&rsquo;s 5.4% dividend than climate change.
Board Shakeup: Leggate said discussions with investors and one board nominee suggest the stock&rsquo;s dividend is at least as important to investors in determining its value as its ESG practices.
&ldquo;We believe XOM has capacity to raise its div in 2021, maintaining a 37 yr track record of div increases &amp; reinforcing confidence in a sustainable and growing dividend, with improving dividend cover,&rdquo; Leggate wrote in a note.
Activists have been pushing for Exxon to cut spending, increase shareholder returns and invest in renewable energy technology.
Related Link: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/05/21339586/a-clean-energy-reality-check-at-bofas-energy-transition-conference">A Clean Energy &#39;Reality Check&#39; At BofA&#39;s Energy Transition Conference</a> 
How To Play It: Bank of America is projecting $4.13 in EPS from Exxon in 2021, ahead of consensus analyst estimates of $3.70. Leggate is projecting free cash flow of at least 19.7 billion per year through 2023. Leggate is bullish on the stock and says Exxon shares are poised to outperform after several years of lagging significantly.
Crude oil prices recently hit multi-year highs, and Exxon shares are up 56% year-to-date in 2021, more than triple the return of the S&amp;P 500.
Bank of America has a Buy rating and $90 price target for Exxon.
Benzinga&rsquo;s Take: The global shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy will not occur overnight, and the world will continue to need energy in the meantime. There&rsquo;s certainly plenty of money to be made investing in alternative energy in the long-term, but analysts say there will still be big profits in the oil and gas industry for at least another decade.
Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exxon,_GA57,_McIntosh_County.jpg">Michael Rivera via Wikimedia</a>.&nbsp;

Analyst Color

Dividends

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

Exxon Board Shakeup More About Dividend Than Climate Change, Analyst Says

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/business/southwest-delays-cancellations.html?action=click&amp;module=In%20Other%20News&amp;pgtype=Homepage" title="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/business/southwest-delays-cancellations.html?action=click&amp;module=In%20Other%20News&amp;pgtype=Homepage">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/business/southwest-delays-cancellations.html?action=click&amp;module=In%20Other%20News&amp;pgtype=Homepage</a>

Rumors

Media

'Southwest Airlines delays and cancels hundreds of flights for a third day' -NY Times $

From Deutsche Bank Global Auto Conference: GM CFO Says Continues To See Strong Consumer Demand In Auto Market

<a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-senator-previews-next-steps-for-psychedelics-bill-and-says-its-a-step-toward-decriminalizing-all-drugs/" title="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-senator-previews-next-steps-for-psychedelics-bill-and-says-its-a-step-toward-decriminalizing-all-drugs/">https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-senator-previews-next-steps-for-psychedelics-bill-and-says-its-a-step-toward-decriminalizing-all-drugs/</a>

CMPS

INMD

MNMD

'California Senator Previews Next Steps For Psychedelics Bill And Says It's A Step Toward Decriminalizing All Drugs...' -Article From Marijuana Moment; Watching Psychedelic-Related Stocks

CBD producer Brains Bioceutical Corp. has raised $31.9 million through an investment round.
DSM Venturing, the corporate venture arm of Royal DSM,&nbsp;a company focused&nbsp;on health, nutrition, and sustainable living,&nbsp;was&nbsp;a lead investor.
Del Morgan &amp; Co. acted as Brains&rsquo; financial agent for the transaction.
Rick Brar, CEO and chairman of the Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, called the capital raise an &ldquo;exciting milestone&rdquo; for the company&rsquo;s team.
&ldquo;The growing demand for isolated CBD Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) within the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry continues to expand,&rdquo; Brar said. &ldquo;Our team has worked tirelessly to position Brains as the market leader within the CBD industry.&rdquo;
Brains produces CBD as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for pharmaceutical applications, research, development&nbsp;and clinical trials. In addition, it is one of few producers in commercial production in Europe with EU-GMDP certification that manufactures CBD API,&nbsp;&nbsp;which contains 99.7% CBD and zero tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for both human and veterinary use within an MHRA licensed facility.
&ldquo;Brains&#39; unparalleled expertise and manufacturing capabilities in the CBD space combined with DSM&rsquo;s unique scientific and marketing capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector make this the ideal partnership to help pharmaceutical players realizing the potential of CBD&rsquo;s for early-stage drug development,&rdquo; Pieter Wolters, managing director at DSM Venturing, said Wednesday.
Photo by CBD Infos&nbsp;on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/cbd?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Cannabis

Financing

CBD Producer Brains Bioceutical Raises $31.9M Via Investment Round Led By DSM Venturing

EXFO

TSX:EXF

EXFO Shares Resume Trade, Up 6% For Session

<a href="https://insideevs.com/features/514419/tesla-models-plaid-comprehensive-review/amp/" title="https://insideevs.com/features/514419/tesla-models-plaid-comprehensive-review/amp/">https://insideevs.com/features/514419/tesla-models-plaid-comprehensive-review/amp/</a>

TSLA

'Tesla Model S Plaid In-Depth, Hands-On Review' -InsideEVs

Although ResMed Inc&rsquo;s (NYSE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rmd#NYSE">RMD</a>) long-term outlook is positive, the market seems to have over-reacted to rival Koninklijke Philips NV&rsquo;s (NYSE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/phg#NYSE">PHG</a>) recall notification of certain sleep and respiratory care devices for the U.S., according to BofA Securities.
The ResMed Analyst: Lyanne Harrison downgraded the rating for ResMed from Neutral to Underperform, while raising the price target from $216 to $221.
The ResMed Thesis: Although the company is poised to benefit from Philips&rsquo;s recall, the magnitude could be significantly less than what the market is expecting, Harrison said in the downgrade note.
The analyst mentioned 5 reasons for this:
<ul>
<li>The recall is related to the earlier DreamStation model.</li>
<li>Philips has already launched DreamStation2 (DS2) in the U.S. and its launch in Europe is imminent.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Patient urgency is key &hellip; Where less urgent, patients may consider a short wait for the DS2, a longer wait for RMD&rsquo;s AirSense11 (US launch late CY21) or the AirSense 10 now,&rdquo; she wrote.</li>
<li>Patients have postponed being diagnosed through the COVID-19 pandemic and waiting&nbsp;for DS2 or AS11 &ldquo;may not be burdensome.&rdquo;</li>
<li>ResMed faces &ldquo;supply chain issues, higher freight costs and competition for components which may limit its ability to capitalize on the recall,&rdquo; Harrison noted.</li>
</ul>
Whilst RMD does not have a similar issue regarding foam degradation, it acknowledges it is monitoring ozone cleaning use for its products and has communicated its warranty position to minimize financial impact,&rdquo; she added.
RMD Price Action: Shares of ResMed are up 0.14% to $236.80&nbsp;at the time of publication Wednesday.
(Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@possessedphotography?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Possessed Photography</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/number-5?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>)

Downgrades

Health Care

5 Reasons Why ResMed Gets Downgrade From BofA Securities

JMP Securities analyst Jonathan Wolleben maintains Altimmune (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/alt#NASDAQ">ALT</a>) with a Market Outperform and raises the price target from $45 to $53.JMP Securities analyst Jonathan Wolleben maintains Altimmune (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALT#NASDAQ">ALT</a>) with a Market Outperform and raises the price target from $45 to $53.

Small Cap

JMP Securities Maintains Market Outperform on Altimmune, Raises Price Target to $53

XPeng Inc. ((&amp;ldquo, XPeng&amp;rdquo, or the &amp;ldquo, Company, &amp;rdquo, NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPEV#NYSE">XPEV</a>), a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company, today released its Xmart OS 2.6.0 through an over-the-air (OTA) upgrade, with the Valet Parking Assist (VPA) beta version and over 10 additional new and optimized autonomous driving and voice assistance functions, to P7 customers in China.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210616005851/en/">https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210616005851/en/</a>
<img alt="XPeng Valet Parking Assist (Photo: Business Wire)" src="https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20210616005851/en/885709/4/%E8%BD%A6%E8%BE%86%E6%B3%8A%E5%85%A5.jpg" />
XPeng Valet Parking Assist (Photo: Business Wire)
Valet Parking Assist (VPA) is XPeng&rsquo;s new in-house developed automatic parking assistance function, designed for ultraslow-speed driving scenarios such as garages and parking spaces.
VPA is the first auto parking function to perform &ldquo;last kilometer&rdquo; automatic parking that does not rely on modifications to parking spaces. VPA is another major breakthrough in ultraslow-speed autonomous driving, reinforcing XPeng&rsquo;s leading position in the smart EV sector.
VPA can perform memory-based automatic parking on the same level within up to 1,000 meters from the memorized parking space, enhancing comfort and convenience for the driver. Based on the route set by the driver, VPA will automatically drive the vehicle from beginning to end, turning automatically, avoiding pedestrians and other vehicles, bypassing other obstacles, and finally parking automatically in the parking space memorized by the system.
Having set the route in advance, the driver can turn on the VPA function when entering the area where the parking space is located. The vehicle will then locate the parking space and park automatically.
VPA can memorize up to 100 parking spaces, and is able to recognize static elements such as parking spaces, speed bumps, pillars, and parked vehicles, as well as dynamic elements such as moving vehicles and pedestrians. The function does not require modification by installing Bluetooth, LIDAR, WiFi, cameras, or any other sensors and devices, and can be used in ordinary unmodified indoor parking garages.
Through voice, images and other cues, the driver receives a dynamic view of the current driving route, target parking space, and associated actions, allowing a comprehensive understanding of the system and the parking situation.
VPA is able to handle complex parking scenarios with incoming and outgoing traffic, pedestrian shuttles, and multiple dynamic elements.
VPA is available for the XPeng P7 Premium version and the Wing edition, both of which are equipped with the XPILOT 3.0 hardware system with software services activated. Users of VPA will need to pass a driver safety test before activating it for the first time.

XPEV

XPeng Press Release Highlights New Valet Parking Assist Function In Its Latest Xmart OS OTA Upgrade

La-Z-Boy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lzb#NYSE">LZB</a>) shares are trading lower after the company reported Q4 results. While EPS and sales came in better than expected, the company&nbsp;said it sees a temporary negative impact to profit margins due to&nbsp;raw material price increases.
The company said that demand trends &#39;remain strong across the business with backlog at record levels.&#39;
La-Z-Boy Inc is a US-based company that manufactures, distributes, and retails upholstery furniture products.&nbsp;
At the time of publication, the stock was trading 10.6% lower at $37.80 per share. The stock has a 52-week low of $25.53 and a 52-week high of $46.74.&nbsp;

Earnings

Why La-Z-Boy Shares Dipped Today

Insider Trades

SNPX

Synaptogenix Reports In Form 4 Filing Co's Chief Scientific Officer Buys 10K Shares At Average Price Of $8.26

ICON

Iconix Brand Group Shares Spike Higher On Volume; Not Seeing Company News

Options

TAL Education Option Alert: Jan 21 $52.5 Calls Sweep (16) near the Ask: 1080 @ $1.002 vs 409 OI; Earnings 7/29 Before Open [est] Ref=$24.195

A poll conducted by a&nbsp;publication in China indicates that the country&#39;s users are evenly split on whether or not they would want to buy Apple Inc&rsquo;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) new iPhone 12 smartphones.

What Happened: Respondents to a poll conducted by Caijing magazine were asked if they would like to buy the new 5G-enabled iPhone. While 10,000 of those polled voted no, 9,269 said yes, and 5,400 said they were still considering the purchase, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-iphone-china/in-china-apples-5g-iphone-12-sparks-fever-pitch-but-divided-reaction-idUSKBN26Z0DS?il=0">reported</a> Monday.

The iPhone is reportedly priced at nearly&nbsp;$815 for the &ldquo;mini&rdquo; model and almost $1,766 for the &ldquo;Pro Max&rdquo; model in China.

The steep price is putting off some customers, especially since the smartphone comes without a headphone or a power adapter, reported Reuters.

Some in China are waiting for the release of Huawei&rsquo;s Mate 40 Pro later this month, even as Alphabet Inc&rsquo;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Android OS-based 5G devices from Xiaomi Corporation (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>) and Huawei are already available.

Why It Matters: Analysts are betting on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/10/17887237/apple-hi-speed-iphone-event-live-blog">latest iPhones</a> to deliver sales and say that many users lay in wait for the launch of the latest model, reported Reuters.

Canalys has reportedly upped its forecast for iPhone shipments to China in the fourth quarter to a 14% year-on-year growth &mdash;&nbsp;from the original 1% decrease.

The firm&rsquo;s Nicole Peng said that China does not view 5G as a premium feature but a &ldquo;must-have feature,&rdquo; and the launch is expected to lead to an upgrade cycle.&nbsp;

Canalys expects half of the Chinese phone owners to be using a 5G phone by the end of the year, while in the United States that figure is only likely to be 29%.

Counterpoint Research analyst Neil Shah said Apple could benefit &ldquo;significantly&rdquo; from U.S. trade restrictions.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant saw a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/07/16820644/apple-registers-225-iphone-sales-growth-in-q2-in-china-remains-fastest-growing-smartphone-maker-repo">225% sales growth</a> in the second quarter in China and is the country&rsquo;s fastest-growing smartphone maker, according to Counterpoint Research.

Price Action: Apple shares closed 2.65% lower at $121.10 on Monday.

Photo courtesy: Apple Inc.

Retail Sales

Global

Tech

Apple's 5G iPhone Line Sees Mixed Response In China: Survey

<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tiktok" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">TikTok</a>&nbsp;parent&nbsp;ByteDance&nbsp;is working on replicating the popular U.S.-based audio chat service, Clubhouse, for China,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-clubhouse-copycats/bytedance-developing-clubhouse-like-app-for-china-amid-copycat-rush-sources-idUSKBN2AW0KG" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a>.

<ul>
	<li>Discussions about TikTok and ByteDance on Clubhouse attracted interest from ByteDance executives, including CEO Zhang Yiming. However, ByteDance&rsquo;s initiatives are still in the nascent stages.</li>
	<li>Clubhouse can host up to 8,000 people per chat room and witnessed significant traction during a discussion between&nbsp;Tesla Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>At least a dozen similar apps were launched last month, further fueled by the ban of Clubhouse in China in early February. Clubhouse noted a surge in users who participated in discussions on controversial topics, including Xinjiang detention camps and Hong Kong independence.</li>
	<li>Other similar initiatives include&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&rsquo;s&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC: <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) adaptation of its Mi Talk app into an invitation-only audio service targeted at professionals last week. There are reportedly multiple apps under development.</li>
	<li>Lizhi Inc&rsquo;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lizi#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">LIZI</a>) Zhiya app launched in 2013 involves singing or conversations regarding games. The app mandates real-name registration, monitors conversations in every room and deploys artificial intelligence tools to remove objectionable content, including pornography or political controversies. The app was temporarily taken down by Chinese regulators in 2019 and restored upon rectifications.</li>
	<li>According to Lizhi, audio chat apps exude immense potential without politically sensitive content and non-expression of opinion in public in line with the country&rsquo;s culture.</li>
	<li>Inke Ltd launched a similar app, Duihuaba, this month that engaged venture capitalists, fashion critics, and other celebrities to host conversations. However, the app was abruptly pulled out within two weeks of its debut over further undisclosed modifications.</li>
	<li>Price action:&nbsp;LIZI shares closed lower by 3.69% at $8.61 on Wednesday.</li>
</ul>

Penny Stocks

ByteDance Looks To Copycat Popular Clubhouse App For China: Reuters

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) may soon have to face heightened competition in the headphone segment, as Qualcomm, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) announced a new range of chips designed to connect wireless headphones with devices that run on Alphabet Inc&rsquo;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Android operating system.

What Happened: Qualcomm has released chips that will allow Android devices to pair with ease with headphones in the same way iOS devices can pair with headphones, due to Apple&rsquo;s integration of special chips in the hardware, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-qualcomm-tech/qualcomm-takes-aim-at-apple-with-line-of-wireless-audio-chips-idUSKBN2AW2A7" style="text-decoration-line:none">reported</a> Reuters.&nbsp;

Audio-Technica and Xiaomi Corporation (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACF#OTC">XIACF</a>) will be the initial customers for the chips. Devices are expected to arrive in the summer.

<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-apple-stock/">See also:&nbsp;How To Buy Apple Stock</a>

Why It Matters: Android ecosystem is not as closed or vertically integrated as the iOS one, according to Rahul Patel, a senior vice president at Qualcomm, Reuters reported.

&ldquo;We want to enable (audio companies) to work seamlessly with Android products,&rdquo; said Patel.

In December, the Tim Cook-led company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/12/18707905/apple-demands-549-for-its-new-headphones-and-social-media-is-having-none-of-it" style="text-decoration-line:none">launched&nbsp;$549 headphones</a> dubbed &ldquo;AirPods Max,&rdquo; which led to social media outrage.

Wireless headphones have emerged as one of Apple&rsquo;s fastest-growing segments.

The Cupertino, California-based company is also said to be <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/01/19268998/apple-vr-headset-to-arrive-in-2022-and-at-a-steep-price-report" style="text-decoration-line:none">planning a virtual reality headset </a>that may arrive in 2022, which will pitch Apple against Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/FB#NASDAQ">FB</a>) and Sony Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/SNE#NYSE">SNE</a>).&nbsp;

Price Action: Apple shares traded 1.2% lower at $118.69 in the after-hours trading on Thursday and closed the regular session 1.58% in the red at $120.13. On the same day, Qualcomm shares closed the regular session 2.93% lower at $127.80 and fell 0.63% in extended trading in the after-hours.

Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/03/19976966/apple-will-lose-top-us-podcast-listenership-spot-to-spotify-this-year-emarketer">Apple Will Lose Top US Podcast Listenership Spot To Spotify This Year: eMarketer</a>

How Qualcomm's New Audio Chips Could Give Apple A Run For Its Money

The U.S. banned Chinese smartphone major&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) over alleged military ties triggered by an award given to its founder his service to the state, the&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-blacklisted-chinas-xiaomi-because-of-award-given-to-its-founder-11614947281?mod=tech_lead_pos1" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal reports</a>.

What Happened:&nbsp;Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun received the award of &ldquo;Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics&rdquo; in 2019 from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Xiaomi promoted the award on the CEO&rsquo;s biography page on its website and its annual report.

The designation barred Americans from investing in the company.

The U.S. justification for adding Xiaomi to its list was laid out in a court filing in response to a U.S. lawsuit filed by Xiaomi seeking to overturn the military designation. The filing, which appeared last week for the first time, disclosed the reasoning behind the listing.

Why It Matters:&nbsp;Xiaomi was added to the Defense Department&rsquo;s list during the fading days of the Trump administration on Jan. 14, together with eight other Chinese companies, including aerospace and chip firms. The department added 44 companies to its list, including telecom giant Huawei Technologies Corp. and computing chip maker&nbsp;Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smicy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">SMICY</a>), both of which have also denied the military links.

Xiaomi stock which more than tripled in Hong Kong last year, has shed 25% since its Jan. 14 close.

Xiaomi&rsquo;s designation surprised various analysts considering its key focus on consumer electronics. Additionally, Xiaomi manufactures internet-connected gadgets like air purifiers, scooters, body-weight scales, and fitness bands. It does not sell communications infrastructure or other equipment typically considered as sensitive, unlike Huawei.

Xiaomi&rsquo;s prospects boomed in the smartphone market in the past year as it gained market share from Huawei. The company&rsquo;s handset shipments climbed by nearly one-third in the fourth quarter globally, making it the third-largest vendor after&nbsp;Apple Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) and&nbsp;Samsung Electronics Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ssnlf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">SSNLF</a>).

The award came from China&rsquo;s MIIT, the government agency responsible for overseeing Chinese tech and industrial policy. According to the Defense Department, the MIIT assisted China&rsquo;s policy of civil-military fusion, and Beijing depended on MIIT to boost military technology development.

The award is given once every five years to top private-sector entrepreneurs. The last award, in 2019, was given to 100 people. Other notable CEOs who won the award include Ding Lei of&nbsp;NetEase Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ntes#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">NTES</a>), Wang Gaofei of&nbsp;Weibo Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wb#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">WB</a>), and Wang Chuanfu&nbsp;BYD Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/byddf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">BYDDF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/byddy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">BYDDY</a>).

The Defense Department further alleged Xiaomi&rsquo;s plans to invest $7.7 billion (50 billion yuan) over five years into 5G and artificial intelligence, which were of key interest to the People&rsquo;s Republic of China focus of the Military-Civil Fusion strategy.

Chinese big-data company&nbsp;Luokung Technology Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lkco#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">LKCO</a>) also filed a lawsuit in the U.S. on Thursday seeking its removal to the list along with Xiaomi in January.

Price action:&nbsp;XIACF shares are down 4.22% at $3.03 on the last check Friday.

US Blacklisted Xiaomi Citing Alleged Military Ties With China: WSJ

Qualcomm Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qcom#NASDAQ" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">QCOM</a>) is struggling to keep up with the demand for its smartphone and gadget processor chips as the auto chip crisis extended to the electronics business,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chip-shortage-qualcomm/qualcomm-struggles-to-meet-chip-demand-as-shortage-spreads-to-phones-sources-idUSKBN2B32OO" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a>.

What Happened:&nbsp;Smartphone manufacturer&nbsp;Samsung Electronics Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ssnlf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">SSNLF</a>) is plagued by Qualcomm&rsquo;s application processor crisis which formed the heart of smartphones. Qualcomm chip crisis impacted the production of mid-and low-end Samsung models.&nbsp;

Demand for Qualcomm&rsquo;s chips has climbed in the past months as customers abandoned phones produced by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd due to the U.S. trade war.&nbsp;

Why It Matters:&nbsp;Qualcomm has found it hard to fulfill the abnormal demand surge partly due to a chip subcomponent crisis. It also faced a shortage for its new flagship chip, the Snapdragon 888. Interestingly, the company expected to accomplish the Q2 sales forecast provided in February.

However, a top smartphone contract manufacturer admitted a crisis regarding a range of Qualcomm components, followed by a potential cut in handset shipments in 2021.

Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) also admitted the extreme chip crunch. The crisis has<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/02/19745055/automakers-battle-chip-crisis-as-smartphone-makers-lure-high-end-chipmakers-reuters" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">&nbsp;so far affected mainly</a>&nbsp;the older technology rather than Qualcomm&rsquo;s advanced phone processors. But Qualcomm&rsquo;s issues have proven faster transmission of the complex chip supply chain issues necessitating advanced mass production plans.

Key parts of Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 888 processors were produced by Samsung&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/19977878/samsung-shortlists-three-additional-sites-for-us-chip-plant-worth-17b-reuters" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">separate chipmaking division</a>&nbsp;utilizing a 5-nanometer manufacturing process that is hard to scale quickly. A Texas Samsung factory that manufactured some of Qualcomm&rsquo;s radio frequency transceivers was forced to halt operations last month due to power shortages caused by winter storms whose impact is still unclear.

Qualcomm&rsquo;s entire line-up of application processors contained power management chips made with older technology by companies including China&rsquo;s&nbsp;Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smicy#OTC" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">SMICY</a>) and&nbsp;Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsm#NYSE" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">TSM</a>).

Global supply chains are very tightly integrated and are less resilient, as per Bernstein analyst.

The chip shortage prompted panic buying further squeezed capacity and drove up costs of the cheapest components of nearly all microchips. A commonly used microcontroller-unit chip from&nbsp;STMicroelectronics NV&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/stm#NYSE" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">STM</a>) originally priced at $2 amounted to $14.&nbsp;

Qualcomm,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/21/02/19830467/biden-set-to-sign-executive-order-to-address-chip-shortages-supply-chain-crisis-wsj" style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;; color: #4a6ee0;" target="_blank">along with other chipmakers</a>, sought President Biden&rsquo;s assistance to counter the crisis, who pushed for a $37 billion Congressional funding.

Price action:&nbsp;QCOM stock was down 1.55% at $129.7 in the pre-market session on the last check Friday.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

Qualcomm Struggles To Meet Chip Demand As Chip Crisis Extends To Phones: Reuters

A U.S. federal judge blocked the government from restricting U.S. investment in Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi.&nbsp;

What Happened:&nbsp;Judge Rudolph Contreras temporarily blocked the Department of Defense from imposing restrictions on U.S. investment in the&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACF#OTC">XIACF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>), the Wall Street Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/xiaomi-wins-court-ruling-halting-u-s-investment-ban-11615604756?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">has reported</a>.&nbsp;

In the lawsuit, Xiaomi had argued that the ban on investing in the firm was &ldquo;arbitrary and capricious,&rdquo; and that it deprived the company of its due process rights.&nbsp;

In his verdict, the judge said that &ldquo;Xiaomi is a publicly-traded company that produces commercial products for civilian use, is controlled by its independent board and controlling shareholders, and is not effectively controlled or associated with others under the ownership or control of the PRC or its security services.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Why It Matters:&nbsp;Xiaomi was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20029795/us-blacklisted-xiaomi-citing-alleged-military-ties-with-china-wsj" target="_blank">blacklisted</a>&nbsp;from getting U.S. investments over allegations of having connections with the Chinese military.

It is believed that the blacklist was imposed after Xiaomi&rsquo;s founder and CEO, Lei Jun, was awarded the &ldquo;Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics&rdquo; in 2019 from China&rsquo;s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

According to the Defense Department, the MIIT assisted China&rsquo;s policy of civil-military fusion, and Beijing depended on MIIT to boost military technology development.

Earlier, the Defense Department had alleged that Xiaomi&rsquo;s plans to invest $7.7 billion into 5G and artificial intelligence were of key interest to the People&rsquo;s Republic of China&#39;s military-civil fusion strategy.

To this point,&nbsp;the judge said, &ldquo;investment in the technology didn&rsquo;t necessarily suggest a military link.&rdquo;

Xiaomi Wins Court Ruling Over U.S. Government Investment Restrictions

<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://benzinga.com/topic/tiktok" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TikTok</a>&nbsp;owner&nbsp;ByteDance Ltd. hired former&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&rsquo;s&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) Chew Shou Zi as its CFO, amid speculations over the company&rsquo;s initial public offering (IPO),&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-24/bytedance-hires-xiaomi-executive-as-cfo-while-it-weighs-ipo?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>.

<ul>
	<li>Chew, who supervised Xiaomi&rsquo;s IPO and smartphone international expansion as the CFO, tweeted about his recent joining in Singapore.</li>
	<li>Xiaomi had earlier announced his departure in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.</li>
	<li>ByteDance had been exploring plans to list some of its businesses, including TikTok&rsquo;s Chinese twin Douyin in Hong Kong.</li>
	<li>The company&rsquo;s revenue more than doubled to about $35 billion in 2020 amid intense competition and Donald Trump&rsquo;s attempts to ban it over security concerns.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>U.S. President Joe Biden&rsquo;s new administration had&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-moves-xiaomi/tiktok-owner-bytedance-hires-cfo-in-a-step-towards-ipo-idUSKBN2BG1JK" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">paused a government lawsuit</a>&nbsp;that could have led to the de facto ban on TikTok&rsquo;s use in the U.S.</li>
	<li>The start-up&rsquo;s revenue had more than quadrupled from just $8 billion in 2018 and now posts sales on par with the likes of&nbsp;Nike Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nke#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">NKE</a>) and&nbsp;Coca-Cola Co&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ko#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">KO</a>).</li>
	<li>Earlier this year, ByteDance&rsquo;s fundraising valued it at $180 billion.</li>
	<li>Price action:&nbsp;XIACF shares traded lower by 2.94% at $3.3 on the last check Wednesday.</li>
</ul>

Management

ByteDance Ropes In Former Xiaomi Head As Finance Chief: Report

<ul>
	<li>The Chinese telecom company,&nbsp;Huawei Technologies Co, aims to invest over $1 billion on researching autonomous-driving and electric-car technologies, intensifying competition with&nbsp;Tesla Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TSLA</a>),&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>),&nbsp;NIO Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nio#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">NIO</a>) and&nbsp;XPeng Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xpev#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XPEV</a>),&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-12/huawei-to-invest-1-billion-on-car-tech-it-says-surpasses-tesla?sref=TBDibEcD" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>.</li>
	<li>Huawei&rsquo;s autonomous-driving technology has already beaten Tesla&rsquo;s in some domains by enabling cars to independently cruise for over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), as per Rotating Chairman Eric Xu.</li>
	<li>Huawei will partner with three automakers, primarily to manufacture autonomous cars carrying the Huawei name as a sub-brand. Huawei aimed to limit its partners and get its logo onto cars, using&nbsp;Intel Corp&rsquo;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/intc#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">INTC</a>) attention-seeking approach to its microprocessors on PCs, which would embrace its autonomous driving technology. Huawei will forge partnerships with BAIC Group, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co.</li>
	<li>Huawei plans to capitalize on China&rsquo;s 30 million annual car addition to earn an average of 10,000 yuan per car.</li>
	<li>Huawei was emerging from the former President Trump initiated embargo on its smartphone, chipmaking, and 5G networking businesses with negligible signs of respite from current President Biden. These prompted Huawei to explore new growth areas like smart agriculture, health care, and electric cars. The company also aims to grab a pie of the rapidly evolving fields of connected vehicles, homes, and workplaces.</li>
	<li>Huawei aims to compete with&nbsp;Apple Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) to Xiaomi, betting on the green, autonomous, and connected vehicle segment. EV sales in China can jump over 50% in 2021 from cleaner automobiles and cost reduction.</li>
	<li>Huawei&rsquo;s info and entertainment features are available in Mercedes-Benz sedans. Huawei has partnered with BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology Co to develop smart car systems and showcase Arcfox &alpha;S HBT in the April Auto Shanghai.</li>
	<li>Last month Xiaomi&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20400920/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-confirms-ev-venture-plans-10b-investment-over-10-years" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">disclosed investment</a>&nbsp;plans worth $10 billion over the next ten years on EV manufacturing. Search giant&nbsp;Baidu Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bidu#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">BIDU</a>) and&nbsp;Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gelyf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">GELYF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gelyy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">GELYY</a>) are&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/21/01/19093483/baidu-confirms-joining-china-ev-fray-in-partnership-with-volvo-parent-geely" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">reportedly working</a>&nbsp;on a vehicle manufacturing partnership.</li>
</ul>

Huawei Targets Over $1B On Self-Driving, EV Technologies R&D, Amid Claims Of Beating Tesla: Bloomberg

<ul>
	<li>Chinese automaker and Volvo Cars owner&nbsp;Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gelyy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">GELYY</a>) unveiled a high-end electric vehicle (EV) brand, Zeekr, to capitalize on the growing demand in China and snatch a pie of&nbsp;Tesla Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TSLA</a>) and&nbsp;NIO Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nio#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">NIO</a>),&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinas-geely-targets-slice-premium-electric-car-market-with-startup-brand-zeekr-2021-04-15/" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a>.</li>
	<li>According to Bloomberg, the target market has also attracted tech firms&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) and Huawei Technologies Co.</li>
	<li>The initiative builds on parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Geely Automobile&rsquo;s joint investment of $306 million (2 billion yuan) to position Zeekr as a startup under the Geely group, which also holds a 9.7% stake in Germany&rsquo;s&nbsp;Daimler AG&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dmlry#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">DMLRY</a>).</li>
	<li>The Zeekr cars will be priced at around 300,000 yuan (roughly $46,000).</li>
	<li>The company is playing with the idea of car-using rights and subscriptions for customers.</li>
	<li>Geely aims to launch at least two models annually in the next three years, after launching Zeekr 001 this year with a starting price of 281,000 yuan.</li>
	<li>The company has set a sales target of up to 8,000 units in the fourth quarter. The target could exceed over 50,000 in 2022 after the addition of two more models.</li>
	<li>Geely&rsquo;s plant has an annual manufacturing capacity of 300,000 EVs. The plant could produce six models on its production line and develop higher production abilities soon.</li>
	<li>Zeekr will employ a direct sales model. The brand planned to launch over 100 stores in 2021.</li>
	<li>Geely sold 68,142 new-energy vehicles last year, accounting for around 5% of total deliveries.</li>
	<li>Geely has also partnered with&nbsp;Baidu Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bidu#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">BIDU</a>),&nbsp;Tencent Holdings Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tcehy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TCEHY</a>), and&nbsp;Apple Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) manufacturing partner&nbsp;Foxconn Technology Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fxcof#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">FXCOF</a>) for the initiative.</li>
	<li>The company targets European exports from late-2022 or early 2023, followed by the U.S. It aims to create its eco-system around Zeekr, akin to Nio, by offering branded products like furniture, clothes, and drinks.</li>
	<li>Price action:&nbsp;GELYY shares traded higher by 2.38% at $52.82 on the last check Thursday.</li>
</ul>

Geely Launches Premium EV Brand Zeekr, Intensifying War With Tesla, Nio: Report

<ul>
	<li>China&rsquo;s internet giant,&nbsp;Baidu Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bidu#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">BIDU</a>) and automotive company&nbsp;Zhejiang Geely Holding Group&rsquo;s&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GELYF#OTC">GELYF</a>) joint venture, Jidu Auto, is planning to spend $7.7 billion (50 billion yuan) on smart-car technology development over the next five years,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-23/baidu-and-geely-plan-7-7-billion-smart-car-push-over-five-years?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>.</li>
	<li>Baidu and Geely own 55% and 45% stake in the company, respectively. Jidu aims to hire between 2,500 and 3,000 staff, including 500 software engineers, over the next two to three years. Jidu will launch its branding in the third quarter of 2021.</li>
	<li>Jidu targets an electric vehicle (EV) debut within three years with robotic looks to tap the young client base. Jidu then aims to release a new model every year or 18 months.</li>
	<li>Jidu plans to utilize Baidu-designed Kunlun chip in its forthcoming car models,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/exclusive-baidus-auto-venture-invest-77-bln-into-smart-cars-over-next-five-years-2021-04-23/" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a>. It will also use Geely&rsquo;s open-source EV platform to develop cars. Jidu plans to manufacture vehicles in Hangzhou Bay in China&rsquo;s eastern city of Ningbo, where Geely has multiple car plants.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Jidu JV is looking for a direct sale model without dealerships.</li>
	<li>Smartphone maker&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) recently&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20400920/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-confirms-ev-venture-plans-10b-investment-over-10-years" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">announced a $10 billion</a>&nbsp;EV investment. Baidu also remains invested in self-driving technology for several years, including the Geely partnership.</li>
	<li>Geely&rsquo;s partnerships range from Baidu to&nbsp;Apple Inc&rsquo;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) Taiwanese manufacturing partner&nbsp;Foxconn Technology Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fxcof#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">FXCOF</a>),&nbsp;Tencent Holdings Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tcehy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TCEHY</a>), and electric-car upstart Faraday Future in 2021.</li>
	<li>Geely also&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/04/20646380/geely-launches-premium-ev-brand-zeekr-intensifying-war-with-tesla-nio-report" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">announced plans</a>&nbsp;for a new brand of electric car called Zeekr to take on the likes of&nbsp;Tesla Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TSLA</a>).</li>
	<li>Baidu&rsquo;s autonomous-driving platform, Apollo can be a boost to Geely&rsquo;s smart EV development prospects. The alliance can drive Baidu&rsquo;s position versus internet firms like Tencent and&nbsp;Alibaba Group Holding Ltd&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/baba#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">BABA</a>).</li>
	<li>Price action:&nbsp;BIDU shares traded higher by 0.90% at $216.5 in the premarket session on the last check Friday</li>
</ul>

Baidu-Geely Joint Venture Aims $7.7B Investment In Smart Car

<ul>
	<li><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://benzinga.com/topic/tiktok" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TikTok</a>&nbsp;and Douyin parent, ByteDance, has dismissed its initial public offering (IPO) plans, for the time being,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3130892/tiktok-owner-bytedance-says-it-has-no-immediate-plans-go-public" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">South China Morning Post reports</a>.</li>
	<li>ByteDance reached a $400 billion valuation in the private market, almost tripling its $140 billion valuation post a March 2020 fundraising. The company deferred its IPO plan partly due to difficulties in business restructuring under the Chinese and U.S. regulations.</li>
	<li>TikTok position in the U.S. remained undecided after ByteDance ditched a deal to sell TikTok&rsquo;s U.S. operations to an&nbsp;Oracle Corp&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/orcl#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">ORCL</a>)-led group.</li>
	<li>TikTok continues to face uncertainty under President Biden as he offers a second look at the security concerns raised by Chinese CFO apps operating in the U.S.</li>
	<li>ByteDance was reportedly under initial discussions for a U.S. listing via Douyin shares.</li>
	<li>Last week, Bloomberg reported the company&rsquo;s IPO preparations of some of its main businesses, including Douyin, including its options between Hong Kong and the U.S.</li>
	<li>Several sources reported the company&rsquo;s preparations for a Hong Kong listing. However, the news was pulled subsequently.</li>
	<li>Douyin reported 600 million daily active users as of August 2020. TikTok, along with 689 million global daily users, accounted for $1 billion to ByteDance&rsquo;s 2020 revenue of $37 billion.</li>
	<li>Chinese short video app, Kuaishou&rsquo;s share price has nearly tripled on its first trading day in February. The company reached almost 1 trillion yuan in market cap as of Friday.</li>
	<li><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20324087/bytedance-ropes-in-former-xiaomi-head-as-finance-chief-report" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Last month</a>, ByteDance hired former&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) executive Shou Zi Chew for a newly-created CFO role, insinuating towards the IPO.</li>
</ul>

IPOs

ByteDance Ditches IPO Plans For The Time Being: SCMP

A possible IPO for TikTok&#39;s Chinese parent company ByteDance appears to still be a long way off.

What Happened:&nbsp;According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3130944/ipo-plan-tiktok-maker-bytedance-set-back-us-china-tensions-sources" target="_blank">South China Morning Post</a>&nbsp;(SCMP), ByteDance Ltd.&rsquo;s plans for an initial public offering have been put on hold. Citing unidentified sources, the Hong Kong-based newspaper reported that ByteDance is struggling to comply&nbsp;with China and U.S. regulatory demands.&nbsp;

ByteDance faces difficulties finding a business structure that can please both China and the U.S., the SCMP report said.&nbsp;

One complication is how to separate Douyin and TikTok. Douyin is the Chinese counterpart to TikTok, and the two apps&nbsp;share the same algorithm.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed government official involved in regulating ByteDance, saying that the IPO had to be postponed because of tensions between the U.S. and China.

ByteDance reached a $400 billion valuation in the private market, almost tripling its $140 billion valuation from a March 2020 fundraising.&nbsp;

Why It Matters:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/04/20773321/bytedance-ditches-ipo-plans-for-the-time-being-scmp" target="_blank">ByteDance</a>&nbsp;on Friday said it currently has no plans to seek an IPO.&nbsp;

In March, ByteDance named a new chief financial officer, former&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACF#OTC">XIACF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>) executive Shou Zi Chew, who oversaw Xiaomi&rsquo;s IPO more than two years ago. This raised speculation&nbsp;that a public offering was getting closer for the Bytedance.&nbsp;

Earlier, Reuters had reported that ByteDance was exploring possibilities to list Douyin in New York or Hong Kong. The company is also trying to obtain a public listing for some of its Chinese businesses including Douyin and Toutiao.

It has also been looking at a potential IPO for its non-China business, which includes TikTok.&nbsp;

TikTok, with 689 million daily users worldwide, contributed $1 billion to ByteDance&rsquo;s total revenue of $37 billion in 2020.&nbsp;

TikTok has been a source of tension between China and the U.S. as federal authorities have raised concerns that Chinese intelligence agencies could obtain the personal data of U.S. citizens through TikTok.&nbsp;

The company continues to face uncertainty under President Joe Biden, who has largely continued the hardline stance on China begun former President Donald Trump.

ByteDance, Caught In Middle Of US-China Tensions, Puts IPO Plans On Ice: Report

Apple Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) expects to cut down on the AirPods wireless earphone production by between 25% to 30%&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Apple-trims-AirPods-production-plans-as-sales-lose-steam" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Nikkei Asia reports</a>.

What Happened:&nbsp;Weaker demand has compelled Apple to produce between 75 million and 85 million units for 2021, compared to the previous production forecast of 110 million units.

AirPods shipments have been growing at a double-digit rate since their 2016 introduction. The most significant order slump was noted for the second quarter toward the start of the third quarter. Warehouse inventory levels and in-store stocks were presently high with lackluster demand.

AirPods Pro was available at a 25% discounted retail price of $231 (1,498 yuan) on the Chinese e-commerce platform, T-Mall.

Apple had expected the new AirPods to drive sales. It shipped around 72.8 million units of AirPods last year, controlling the Bluetooth true wireless headphone market with a 31% share. Wearables and other accessories, including AirPods, Apple Watch, and HomePod, constituted over 11% of Apple&rsquo;s total revenue in the last three months of 2020.

Still, the AirPods sales disappointed expectations. Apple&rsquo;s last year order between 80 million to 90 million was added to the inventory as more users resorted to cheaper wireless earphones.&nbsp;

See also:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-apple-stock/">How To Buy Apple Stock</a>

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ssnlf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">SSNLF</a>), Huawei, and&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) launched wireless earphones following the AirPods launch. Smaller, unbranded electronics makers came up with cheaper alternatives too. Thus, Apple&rsquo;s market share plummeted from 60% in 2018, 47% in 2019, to 31% in 2020. Xiaomi&rsquo;s global market share doubled from 6% in 2019 to 12% in 2020.

Why It Matters:&nbsp;Counterpoint Research expects global shipments of true wireless headphones to grow 33% to 310 million units in 2021 compared to an 80% growth target for 2020. It also expected Apple to lose market share due to the competition.&nbsp;

Most of the growth was estimated from low-end and mid-tier products until introducing new high-end offerings, like the latest AirPods, in the second half of the year. AirPods were one of the earliest products for which Apple aggressively diversified production away from China to Vietnam.&nbsp;

Luxshare and GoerTek, the two key Chinese builders of the devices, have broadly extended their production capacity in northern Vietnam since 2019. GoerTek&rsquo;s revenue jumped over 64%, and net income doubled last year. Luxshare&rsquo;s revenue rose 48%, and net profit grew over 50% during the same period.

Price action:&nbsp;AAPL shares traded higher by 0.07% at $134.48 in the premarket session on the last check Wednesday.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

Apple To Slash AirPods Production Due To Competition From Cheaper Alternatives

Sony Group Corp&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sony#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">SONY</a>) will repurchase up to $1.8 billion (200 billion yen) shares after posting quarterly profit below expectations,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-28/sony-plans-1-8-billion-buyback-after-profit-misses-estimates?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>.

Earnings:&nbsp;The March quarter operating profit of 66.5 billion yen missed the analyst estimate of 74 billion yen. Sony sold 3.3 million PlayStation 5 consoles during the quarter, totaling 7.8 million for the fiscal year at a slightly faster rate than the previous hardware generation.

Sony plans to sell over 14.8 million units in FY21, partially offset by the ongoing production bottleneck, stated CFO Hiroki Totoki.

The pandemic-induced remote activities drove the company&rsquo;s game sales last year, leading to phenomenal subscriber additions to the PlayStation Plus service. However, the ongoing semiconductor chip crisis hampered the production of its latest console launched in November.

PlayStation 4 games continued to drive a significant chunk of its revenue.

Sony&rsquo;s shares have jumped since the March 2020 slump from higher gaming and mobile activity. The shares gained 3.1% ahead of the earnings on Wednesday. The company has earmarked funds to repurchase up to 2.02% of its stock.

Revenue from the PlayStation business and the music segment&rsquo;s smartphone games missed the consensus estimate despite the pandemic resurgence.

Apple Inc&rsquo;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">AAPL</a>) latest iPhone launch boosted Sony&rsquo;s image-sensor division despite the loss of high-volume client Huawei Technologies Co.

Oppo and Vivo might opt for cheaper component alternatives following the Chinese smartphone business recovery, to Sony&rsquo;s dismay.

Xiaomi Corp&rsquo;s&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) adoption of&nbsp;Samsung Electronics Co Ltd&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ssnlf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">SSNLF</a>) camera sensor for the former&rsquo;s latest flagship Android device, the Mi 11 Ultra, further insinuates towards growing competition for Sony.

Guidance:&nbsp;Totoki expected the initial PS5 sales target for FY21 to beat the PS4&rsquo;s second-year performance.

Sony&rsquo;s operating income estimate of 930 billion yen in FY22 reflected a decline in gaming, music, and image sensor businesses. The company expects an operating income of 971.9 billion yen for FY21.

Price action:&nbsp;SONY shares traded lower by 1.19% at $104.40 on the last check Wednesday.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

Buybacks

Sony Targets $1.8B Share Repurchase To Make Up For The Profit Miss: Bloomberg

<ul>
	<li><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://benzinga.com/topic/tiktok" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TikTok</a>&nbsp;has appointed ByteDance Ltd CFO Shou Zi Chew to the additional position of the TikTok CEO, the&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-names-bytedance-finance-chief-as-new-ceo-11619796836?mod=tech_lead_pos6" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal reports</a>.</li>
	<li>Chew succeeded former&nbsp;Alphabet Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/googl#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">GOOGL</a>) executive Vanessa Pappas in the new position. Pappas will become the TikTok COO.</li>
	<li>Pappas has been TikTok&rsquo;s interim CEO since August after former&nbsp;Walt Disney Co&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dis#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">DIS</a>) executive Kevin Mayer&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/08/17262680/tiktok-ceo-kevin-mayer-quits-says-us-push-for-a-sale-drove-decision" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">unexpected resignation</a>.</li>
	<li>Pappas will maintain her present responsibilities, including the new role.</li>
	<li>Chew had joined ByteDance&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20324087/bytedance-ropes-in-former-xiaomi-head-as-finance-chief-report" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">last month</a>&nbsp;after departing as&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&rsquo;s&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) CFO.</li>
</ul>

ByteDance CFO Shou Zi Chew Appointed As TikTok Chief: WSJ

<ul>
	<li>Huawei Technologies Co&nbsp;has appointed its consumer electronics business leader Richard Yu as the CEO of its smart car solutions unit,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-19/huawei-consumer-tech-tzar-richard-yu-appointed-smart-car-ceo?sref=TBDibEcD" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">Bloomberg reports</a>.</li>
	<li>Yu was already the car component director.</li>
	<li>Yu departed as the CEO of Huawei&rsquo;s cloud group, a position assumed in April. However, he will continue to lead the consumer electronics business.</li>
	<li>Cloud division executive Zhang Pingan will become the CEO of the cloud group.</li>
	<li>Smartphone maker&nbsp;Xiaomi Corp&nbsp;(OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacf#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACF</a>) (OTC:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xiacy#OTC" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XIACY</a>) earmarked $10 billion for EV (electric vehicle) business development over the next decade.</li>
	<li>Internet firm&nbsp;Baidu Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bidu#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">BIDU</a>) is part of a joint venture spending of $7.7 billion on smart auto tech over five years.</li>
	<li>Huawei&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/04/20578635/huawei-targets-over-1b-on-self-driving-ev-technologies-r-d-amid-claims-of-beating-tesla-bloomberg" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">has earmarked $1 billion</a>&nbsp;spending on EV this year to take on the likes of&nbsp;Tesla Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">TSLA</a>), Xiaomi,&nbsp;NIO Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nio#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">NIO</a>), and&nbsp;XPeng Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xpev#NYSE" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">XPEV</a>).</li>
	<li>Huawei had to sell cars to offset the U.S.&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/20/02/15350757/us-considers-blocking-huawei-from-working-with-us-companies" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">embargo-led mayhem</a>&nbsp;on its smartphone business, Yu stated during a public speech at Huawei&rsquo;s flagship store in Shanghai on April 20.</li>
</ul>

Huawei Appoints Consumer Electronics Business Lead Richard Yu As Smart Car Unit CEO: Bloomberg

AAPL

BABA

BIDU

BYDDF

BYDDY

DMLRY

FXCOF

GELYF

GELYY

GOOG

GOOGL

INTC

LIZI

LKCO

MDTKF

NTES

ORCL

QCOM

SMICY

SONY

SSNLF

TCEHY

XIACF

XIACY

<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
In the past few months, Chinese stocks have made a strong recovery as the country&rsquo;s economy gets back on its feet. Experts believe that this rally will continue to gain steam in the days that follow. After a sharp decline at the start of the year, China saw local and international demand pick up. In July the Shanghai Composite Index that tracks Chinese <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-tries-to-keep-market-exuberance-under-control-11594291014">stocks jumped 16.5%</a>.
Wuhan, China was ground zero for the <a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/06/7-u-s-stocks-to-buy-on-coronavirus-weakness/">novel coronavirus pandemic</a> but also among the first places to declare a Covid-free zone. With lockdowns, restrictions and regular testing, the country prevented the spread of the virus within its borders. This success in containing the virus was one of the key reasons for the strong economic rebound.

		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/vegan-stocks-to-buy-for-the-future-of-eating/">
					7 Vegan Stocks to Buy Now for the Future of Food				</a>
			</li>
				</ul>Chinese stocks have performed well this year, making them a valuable addition to your portfolio. With that in mind, here are three stocks I would recommend adding to your portfolio:
<ul><li>Alibaba (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/baba-stock-quote/">BABA</a>)</li>
<li>JD.com (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/jd-stock-quote/">JD</a>)</li>
<li>Xiaomi (OTCMKTS:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/xiacy-stock-quote/">XIACY</a>)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Chinese Stocks: Alibaba (BABA)</h3>
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/baba1600-300x169.jpg" alt="Alibaba Group (BABA) headquarters sign located in Hangzhou China" width="300" height="169" /><div>Source: Kevin Chen Photography / Shutterstock.com</div>
	</div>
	
Regardless of the investing environment, Alibaba stock will always remain a great investment. This rings especially true in an environment where we live, work and play remotely. The e-commerce company is one of the largest in the world with a market capitalization of half a trillion dollars.
The pandemic accelerated the growth of online marketplaces and Alibaba was a key beneficiary of this trend. At the core of Alibaba is Taobao, where merchants can sell their goods on the platform. The platform saw <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4370859-taobao-lives-growth-story-continues">an 88% increase</a> in the number of sellers as on the platform as offline merchants took their business online. Alibaba&rsquo;s other subsidiaries, Freshippo and Cainiao also experienced an increase in growth.
Alibaba Cloud, the biggest cloud provider in China saw an increase in usage during the pandemic. But despite the key role the company&rsquo;s services played this past year, its earnings took a hit due to low revenue and high costs. Additionally, the collapse of global trade led to more losses.
Nevertheless, in an increasingly digital economy, Alibaba stock will benefit from growth in the long-term. This Chinese stock is a great investment despite any short-term pullbacks.

<h3>JD.com (JD)</h3>
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/jd1600-300x169.jpg" alt="JD.com (JD) logo displayed at the entrance to the company's Silicon Valley office." width="300" height="169" /><div>Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com</div>
	</div>
	
Another Chinese company that has benefitted from a shift to the digital economy is JD.com. As the physical economy shutdown, many traditional retailers took their businesses to the website. JD.com works like Amazon and allows users to virtually sell their products. There are currently <a href="https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2020/jd-com-reports-417-4m-annual-active-customers-amid-better-than-expected-earnings/">417 million users</a> on the platform.
With a pandemic-resistant business model, JD.com put up some impressive growth numbers in 2020. The Chinese stock rallied at more than 67% this year, which was reflective in its most recent earnings report. Revenue spiked by <a href="https://www.investors.com/news/technology/jd-com-earnings-q2-jd-stock-alibaba-rival/">30% to $28.5 million</a>, which beat analysts&rsquo; $27.4 million estimate. Earnings per share (EPS) also popped from 33 cents to 50 cents.

		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/esg-investing-10-best-esg-stocks-buy-for-brighter-future/">
					10 ESG Stocks to Buy for a Brighter Future				</a>
			</li>
				</ul>JD.com has a business model that is in tune with the changes in the global economy. The company has come a long way since its IPO in 2014 and will only continue to grow. Although the stock is currently trading at a premium (35 times adjusted earnings), it&rsquo;s a stock worth buying before prices go higher.

<h3>Xiaomi (XIACY)</h3>
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Xiaomi-IPO-MSN-300x165.jpg" alt="coworkers holding on to letters to spell Xiaomi" width="300" height="165" /><div>Source: Xiaomi</div>
	</div>
	
The Chinese 5G Market is booming and the tech company, Xiaomi is well-poised to benefit from this. Once a small startup, the company is now a major player in the 5G space. This is in addition to the impressive line of products it has in its portfolio. These include TVs, vacuum cleaners, hardware and smartphones. The company believes in transparency and has vowed not to make more than a 5% margin on sales.
Xiaomi&rsquo;s largest revenue driver is its 5G network. With the service catching steam across the globe, the tech giant is looking to carve its niche in the market. The cost-effective pricing model has made it popular in countries like India and China. The large market in India has kept the company&rsquo;s earnings strong despite a weak economy. Xiaomi also holds the top position in Spain and France&rsquo;s smartphone market.
The company&rsquo;s strength lies in its innovative capabilities. Xiaomi is always looking to improve its existing products to better serve its customers. More recently the tech-giant introduced the world&rsquo;s first translucent TV and fully automated phone. These products will push this Chinese stock to new highs in the coming months. Given the growth prospects, it would be wise to jump on this stock before prices go higher.
On the date of publication, Divya Premkumar did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article.
Divya Premkumar has a finance degree from the University of Houston, Texas. She is a financial writer and analyst who has written stories on various financial topics from investing to personal finance. Divya has been writing for InvestorPlace since 2020.
<h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/pick-these-stocks-for-the-win-in-2021/?cid=MKT474051&amp;eid=MKT495281">
					Forget The Election&hellip; Pick These Stocks for the Win in 2021				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/05/legendary-stock-pickers-controversial-message-about-5g/?cid=MKT464279&amp;eid=MKT469673">
					Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/02/americas-1-stock-picker-reveals-next-1000-winner-totally-free-of-charge/?cid=MKT462609&amp;eid=MKT465996">
					America&rsquo;s #1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/03/next-big-thing-5g-opportunity/?cid=MKT446342&amp;eid=MKT457741">
					Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company				</a>
			</li>
				</ul><div>
		<div>
			<div></div>
						<div></div>
					</div>
	</div>The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/3-chinese-stocks-that-are-ready-to-run-higher/">3 Chinese Stocks That Are Ready to Run Higher</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.

3 Chinese Stocks That Are Ready to Run Higher

<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
Apple (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/aapl-stock-quote/">AAPL</a>) had its minor moment in the media earlier this week as it presented <a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/heres-how-to-play-apple-stock-following-tuesdays-iphone-12-event/">more of its iPhones</a>. The phones are finally catching up with bigger competitors such as Samsung Electronics (SSNLF,005930 Korea), Xiaomi (OTCMKTS:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/xiacy-stock-quote/">XIACY</a>) and ZTE (OTCMKTS:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/ztcoy-stock-quote/">ZTCOY</a>) by containing transmission chips and software to operate on fifth-generation (5G) wireless standards. 5G is not really in the U.S. yet, but is increasingly in China and South Korea. But the company is at least trying to be relevant.
Behind the glass and painted cases of modern phones are a host of semiconductors that the company had little to do with in creating or producing. Like for most of Apple products, they do the marketing &mdash; others do the work.
But it is a good news peg to discuss the semiconductor chips that are so vital for the world&rsquo;s electronic gadgets, as well as everything else from our cars to planes and even the refrigerator in your kitchen.
Everyone tends to focus on the big brand names in technology, not the companies that do the grunt work to make the guts of modern products. Hence companies like Apple get lots of headlines and companies that I am presenting to you include some that aren&rsquo;t household names. They should be, though, if you are investing in more of the new-new things coming to the market.
<h3>Founders</h3>
Semiconductors, or chips, are firmly in the vernacular of technology investors. But I would argue that not many understand the process of getting from silicon to the finished product that makes a gadget work when you hit the power button.
Foundries are extremely capital-intensive facilities that come with all sorts of massive barriers to entry. They need lots of space and can be highly environmentally disruptive, both in construction as well as in operation. And permits from governments, from national to local entities, can be very, very difficult to get.
I remember many years ago in Shanghai, I was invited to an initial presentation by a coop led by Siemens (OTCMKTS:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/siegy-stock-quote/">SIEGY</a>) about a new fabrication plant that was getting built in south-central China. The project was supposed to get done in under a year &mdash; which seemed impossible anywhere beyond China.
They took a small mountain and leveled it, making a clear building site with access to transportation of raw materials and finished chips. And then they built and finished it all ahead of schedule and the plant is still humming along today.
This, of course, would never happen in the U.S. But that&rsquo;s yet another great thing about China when it comes to business.

		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/7-dividend-stocks-to-buy-for-adventurous-investors/">
					7 Dividend Stocks To Buy For Adventurous Investors&nbsp;				</a>
			</li>
				</ul>And China remains the go-to nation for foundries, along with some regional locations. And despite all of the bluster over competition &ndash; China and its regional partners are the go-to places for getting chips made from start to finish.
Here are some of the companies that I would have you take a look at if you are interested in investing in what&rsquo;s behind the brands of electronics that make it all happen.
<ul><li>Samsung Electronics</li>
<li>Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/tsm-stock-quote/">TSM</a>)</li>
<li>Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (OTCMKTS:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/smicy-stock-quote/">SMICY</a>)</li>
<li>United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/umc-stock-quote/">UMC</a>)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Samsung Electronics</h3>
Samsung Electronics is a Korea-based behemoth that has a great relationship with China and the region when it comes to manufacturing just about everything electronic. It is one of the globe&rsquo;s leaders in foundries for chips. That in turn feeds its own needs for its own high-value-added products as well as supplying others.
This company should be in any portfolio that wants to be exposed to the best of technology, including foundries.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ssnlf_revenue_chart_101520.png" alt="Chart showing the revenue of Samsung from 2009 to 2020." width="598" height="343" /><div>Source: Samsung Electronics Revenue &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
Revenue for the company continues to expand year after year with the past decade showing gains averaging 7.51% on a compound annual growth rate basis (CAGR). Of course, foundries are just one business &mdash; along with batteries (including processing all sorts of very nasty chemicals to make them happen) as well as countless finished industrial and consumer products.
But with nearly everything from soup to nuts in its operations, its operating margin is very impressive at 12.1%, demonstrating its cost controls and excellent management. This, in turn, drives an impressive return on shareholder&rsquo;s equity of 7.5%.
Dividends are getting better, running at a yield of 2.4%. And with lots and lots of cash and pretty much no real debt, the company is the best to start with in the chip business.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ssnlf_total_return_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the total return for Samsung from 2010 to 2020." width="598" height="235" /><div>Source: Samsung Electronics Total Return &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
The shares in U.S. dollars have been a consistent performer with the past decade alone generating a return of 354.81% for an average annual equivalent return of 16.34%. One thing to note &mdash; you may have to call your broker for execution, and this may or may not incur a fee.

<h3>Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM)</h3>
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM, 2330 Taipei) is a Chinese behemoth in the chips business headquartered in Hsinchu on the island of Formosa. Like for Samsung, Taiwan Semi provides a litany of chips and related products that generally are done under contract with a who&rsquo;s-who in the electronics markets.
It has massive foundries throughout China and its territories and works well with governments in its plant and foundry developments. And it in turn generally controls one of the largest percentages of chips made in any given year for customers around the globe.
Revenue from its more focused product line on chips and components continues to rise. Over the past decades, the company has achieved revenue gains running at 12.56% on a CAGR basis.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tsm_revenue_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the revenues of Taiwan Semiconductors (TSM) from 2005 to 2020." width="598" height="343" /><div>Source: Taiwan Semiconductor Revenue &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
Its margin is much better than for the much more diverse Samsung, and is running currently at 34.8%.

		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/9-stocks-to-buy-for-a-wild-ride-in-july/">
					9 Stocks to Buy for a Wild Ride in October				</a>
			</li>
				</ul>And in turn, this drives a return on shareholder equity at a whopping 29.1%.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tsm_total_return_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the total return of Taiwan Semiconductors (TSM) from 2010 to 2020." width="598" height="235" /><div>Source: Taiwan Semiconductor Total Return &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
The shares have returned 989.02% over the trailing decade for an annual equivalent return of 26.95% including a dividend yield of 2.2%. And with lots of cash and little debt, the company is set to continue to expand as needed.

<h3>Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMICY)</h3>
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMICY, 981 Hong Kong) is also known as SMIC. It, too, has some of the leading foundries in China and does a great job of running them from its headquarters in Shanghai.
Like for Taiwan Semi, SMIC does a lot of contract work &mdash; which makes for a broad play on chips and the overall demand for electronic goods.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/smicy_revenue_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the revenue of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMICY) from 2004 to 2020." width="598" height="343" /><div>Source: SMIC Revenue &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
Revenue has a long-term history of steady growth, with the average running at 10.43% on a CAGR basis.
The company has a bit less cash on hand and a bit more debt &mdash; which can be more common for larger-scale Chinese companies. But at only 24.00% of assets, it is not an issue &mdash; nor should it limit growth, as it is well-supported by the government.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/smicy_total_return_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the total return of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMICY) from 2018 to 2020." width="598" height="235" /><div>Source: SMIC Total Return &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
The stock has been plodding along for many years until the last two &mdash; but since then, it has returned 190.14%, for a quick average annual equivalent of 70.21%. It is also a cheaper stock like Samsung as its stock is valued at a low 2.07 times its intrinsic value (book).
No dividend yield, but it does make for a value buy in the foundry space.

<h3>United Microelectronics (UMC)</h3>
United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC, 2303 Taipei) is more commonly known as UMC. And the company makes a variety of semiconductor chips and integrated circuit chips for a litany of companies, from consumer to industrials.
It has major Chinese foundries and assembly facilities, and since its founding back in 1980, it has continued to earn contracts year in and year out from customers around the world.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/umc_revenue_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the revenue of United Microelectronics (UMC) from 2011 to 2020." width="598" height="343" /><div>Source: UMC Revenue &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
Revenue has been gaining at a bit more of a steady, if not subdued&nbsp; level compared to its foundry peers. Gains average only at 2.71% on a CAGR basis.
And margins are tighter than for its cross-town rival Taiwan Semi at a more subdued level of 3.2%. But with more cash and controlled debt, the company is still a go-to maker with ample government support.
	<div>
		<img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/umc_total_return_chart_101520.png" alt="A chart showing the UMC total return from 2015 to 2020." width="598" height="235" /><div>Source: UMC Total Return &ndash; Source: Bloomberg</div>
	</div>
	
Shares have had a history of muted return until the past two years &ndash; but still have garnered some 250.39% for shareholders over the past five years.

		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/7-big-tech-stocks-to-buy-for-blockchain-and-crypto-exposure/">
					7 Big Tech Stocks to Buy for Blockchain and Crypto Exposure				</a>
			</li>
				</ul>And with a dividend yielding 2.50% and shares even cheaper at 1.83 times intrinsic value &ndash; closer to the absolute bargain of Samsung it does make for a value in the foundry market.
On the date of publication,&nbsp;Neil George did not hold&nbsp;(either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.&nbsp;
As the editor of&nbsp;<a href="https://profitableinvesting.investorplace.com/">Profitable Investing</a>, Neil George helps long-term investors achieve their growth &amp; income goals with less risk. With 30+ years of experience in the financial markets, Neil recommends undiscovered and underappreciated companies that offer subscribers double-digit yields now and triple-digit returns over time.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
		<ul><li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/pick-these-stocks-for-the-win-in-2021/?cid=MKT474051&amp;eid=MKT495281">
					Forget The Election&hellip; Pick These Stocks for the Win in 2021				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/05/legendary-stock-pickers-controversial-message-about-5g/?cid=MKT464279&amp;eid=MKT469673">
					Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/02/americas-1-stock-picker-reveals-next-1000-winner-totally-free-of-charge/?cid=MKT462609&amp;eid=MKT465996">
					America&rsquo;s #1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner				</a>
			</li>
					<li>
				<a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/03/next-big-thing-5g-opportunity/?cid=MKT446342&amp;eid=MKT457741">
					Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company				</a>
			</li>
				</ul><div>
		<div>
			<div></div>
						<div></div>
					</div>
	</div>The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2020/10/4-semiconductor-stocks-making-the-guts-of-everything-electronic/">4 Semiconductor Stocks Making the Guts of Everything Electronic</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.

4 Semiconductor Stocks Making the Guts of Everything Electronic

Xiaomi: Too Many Unknowns

Xiaomi Corporation (XIACF) CEO Lei Jun on Q3 2020 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

Xiaomi's Phones Are Much Cheaper Than Apple's, But Its Valuation Isn't

Xiaomi plunges 10% as U.S. adds smartphone giant to investment blacklist

Xiaomi shares slide ~10% after U.S. blacklists smartphone-maker

Xiaomi notches court win to halt U.S. investment ban

Xiaomi soars 9% on plans to make EV using Great Wall's facility - Reuters

Xiaomi: Progress In Chipmaking Makes It A Good Bet But Risks Remain

Xiaomi rallies after removal from U.S. government blacklist

Qualcomm Is Not Cheap Enough

GWLLF

GWLLY

ZTCOY

NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Xiaomi today released a mini-documentary honoring New York&#39;s heroes that persevered through all the challenges that 2020 brought. The film &#34;Hello 2021&#34; is the final component of the global technology company&#39;s #ChargingHappiness campaign.

 <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder1">
 
 <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394388/Xiaomi_ChargingHappiness_Installation.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
 <img xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" src="https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394388/Xiaomi_ChargingHappiness_Installation.jpg" title="People react to videos inside the Xiaomi&#39;s #ChargingHappiness Installation at Grand Central Station on December 28, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Xiaomi Corporation)" alt="People react to videos inside the Xiaomi&#39;s #ChargingHappiness Installation at Grand Central Station on December 28, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Xiaomi Corporation)"></img>
 </a>
 

 </div>
The #ChargingHappiness campaign began with Xiaomi rallying 50 top TikTok creators to use its Redmi Power Bank in different hilarious ways. Then, Xiaomi set up a special installation in NYC&#39;s bustling Grand Central Terminal to showcase these videos and bring smiles to the faces of New Yorkers. 
The joyful reactions were captured for the film, which featured a nurse, a logistics agent, college students, an elementary school teacher, and a singer/songwriter. They each share personal stories of living and working in the city during a challenging year and their hopes for the future.
&#34;The #ChargingHappiness campaign and &#39;Hello 2021&#39; film feel perfect for this moment,&#34; said Yiyang Liu, Xiaomi&#39;s North America marketing manager.  &#34;We were excited to tap into the power of TikTok and showcase how these influencers used the Redmi Power Bank as a launchpad to express their creativity and humor.  And we were equally excited to delight and uplift New York&#39;s heroes.&#34;
About Xiaomi Corporation
Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core. With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology. Xiaomi is currently the world&#39;s third-largest smartphone brand and has established the world&#39;s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform with 289.5 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 90 markets around the world. In August 2020, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the second time, ranking 422nd, up 46 places compared to the previous year. Xiaomi also ranked 7th among internet companies on the list. Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index and Hang Seng TECH Index. For more information about Xiaomi as a company, please visit <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3025532-1&amp;h=890538132&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mi.com%2Fen%2F&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mi.com%2Fen%2F" rel="nofollow">https://blog.mi.com/en/</a>.

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder2">
</div>
<img xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" title="Cision" width="12" height="12" alt="Cision" src="https://c212.net/c/img/favicon.png?sn=NY36824&amp;sd=2021-01-04"></img> View original content to download multimedia:<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="PRNURL" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xiaomi-technology-releases-heartwarming-hello-2021-film-to-celebrate-new-york-heroes-301200484.html">http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xiaomi-technology-releases-heartwarming-hello-2021-film-to-celebrate-new-york-heroes-301200484.html</a>
SOURCE Xiaomi

Press Releases

Xiaomi Technology Releases Heartwarming "Hello 2021" Film to Celebrate New York Heroes

NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study released today by<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3026999-1&amp;h=1847373271&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fmi.com%2F&amp;a=%C2%A0" rel="nofollow"> </a><a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3026999-1&amp;h=3771581473&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fmi.com%2F&amp;a=Xiaomi" rel="nofollow">Xiaomi</a>, a global leader in smart devices, found that since March 2020, 70% of consumers have reported making changes in their living environment due to spending more time at home during the pandemic, and more than half (51%) have reported purchasing at least one smart device during that period.

 <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder1">
 
 <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1395215/Xiaomi_Press_Release_Infographic.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
 <img xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" src="https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1395215/Xiaomi_Press_Release_Infographic.jpg" title="" alt=""></img>
 </a>
 

 </div>
Stay-at-home orders changed the very notion of how people interact and live in their homes, driving people to reconfigure their physical space to meet new functional requirements, including working and learning at home, creating at-home gyms, or finding new ways to relax and enjoy themselves.
The survey found that 3 out of 5 respondents said that since their leisure and work environments have become one, it has become harder to carve out personal space to relax and find joy at home. Of those, 63% purchased smart home devices, 82% adapted a room for working from home during COVID, and 79% reconfigured at least one room.
&#34;Smart living has always been about reimagining and optimizing physical space to solve problems and adapt to new realities through the use of technology, and we&#39;ve seen this adoption accelerate in 2020,&#34; said Daniel Desjarlais, Global Product Marketing Manager, Xiaomi. &#34;Connected homes, automated systems, and new technology are helping people create ecosystems within their homes to solve new challenges presented by increased time at home, whether it&#39;s adapting or creating new uses for old spaces, such as office space or classrooms, or just creating a more streamlined home that is easier to manage and control.&#34;
Key survey findings include:
<ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" type="disc"><li xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">People had to adapt existing spaces to serve new purposes, particularly younger generations: Makeshift spacing arrangements were widespread across all age groups, with nearly two-thirds (66%) of all respondents saying that they had to use makeshift spacing arrangements in response to staying home more during the pandemic. This was particularly pronounced among Gen Z and Millennials -- 91% of Gen Z consumers and 80% of Millennials indicated this was something they were forced to do. </li><li xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Smart home device purchases were a solution: On average, consumers bought two new smart devices since March in response to being home more during the pandemic, with Gen Z consumers buying an average of three. Smart devices can help to streamline a space and provide solutions for problems generated by more time at home, such as the need to carve out specific work or study space. Regardless of devices purchased, there is an overwhelming consensus among consumers (82%) that there are significant advantages to a home with smart devices. </li><li xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">For many, these makeshift solutions may end up being permanent. 60% of consumers say they plan to continue using their home for activities typically performed elsewhere, even after a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available. If stay-at-home orders go into effect again in 2021, nearly 2 in 5 (39%) of consumers have reported that they want to upgrade their devices and 41% will adapt a room. Moving into 2021, the adoption and integration of smart home technology will be a prevailing trend in home improvement as consumers look to smart devices as part of their long-term solutions.</li></ul>Increased time at home during COVID-19 drove significant changes and desires for how people lived in, interacted with, and designed their homes, and smart home ecosystems provided a solution for the unprecedented changes of 2020. Smart devices can inspire consumers to see new uses for their space: such as creating at-home movie theaters with smart projectors, access to a plethora of streamed content, smart speakers, and more; or, creating a specified workspace with increased connectivity, automated lighting, and upgrading existing tech to smart solutions. Smart ecosystems also help consumers automate daily tasks, improving productivity, efficiency, and the home overall; such as automated cleaning schedules with air purifiers, smart appliances, or robot vacuums. Smart home devices can have a lasting impact on how we interact with the space around us, beyond 2020 and 2021, providing upgrades and impetus for long-term benefits. 
Xiaomi&#39;s unique business model prioritizes innovation and has helped the company lead the industry with the most diverse smart device product portfolio whose products work together seamlessly in a connected ecosystem with smartphones at the center. As of September 30, 2020, the number of users with five or more devices connected to Xiaomi&#39;s AIoT platform reached 5.6 million. Much of Xiaomi&#39;s growth is coming from overseas markets, including expansion into Western markets. The newest product to be readily available for U.S. consumers is Mi Air Purifier 3H, which will go on sale starting January 14, 2021.
For more information on Xiaomi and their smart home ecosystem, visit mi.com.
Research Methodology The Xiaomi Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" href="http://www.wakefieldresearch.com" rel="nofollow">www.wakefieldresearch.com</a>) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, between December 11th and December 16th, 2020, using an email invitation and an online survey. 
About Xiaomi Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core.
With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.
Xiaomi is currently the world&#39;s third-largest smartphone brand and has established the world&#39;s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform with 289.5 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 90 markets around the world. In August 2020, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the second time, ranking 422nd, up 46 places compared to the previous year. Xiaomi also ranked 7th among internet companies on the list.
Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index and Hang Seng TECH Index.
For more information about Xiaomi as a company, please visit <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3026999-1&amp;h=450460561&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mi.com%2Fen%2F&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mi.com%2Fen%2F" rel="nofollow">https://blog.mi.com/en/</a>
Contact: Brianna Rabe, <a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" target="_blank" href="mailto:brianna.rabe@ruderfinn.com" rel="nofollow">brianna.rabe@ruderfinn.com</a>

<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference" id="DivAssetPlaceHolder2">
</div>
<img xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" title="Cision" width="12" height="12" alt="Cision" src="https://c212.net/c/img/favicon.png?sn=NY38286&amp;sd=2021-01-06"></img> View original content to download multimedia:<a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" id="PRNURL" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-70-of-consumers-improved-home-during-covid-19-more-than-half-used-smart-devices-301201817.html">http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-70-of-consumers-improved-home-during-covid-19-more-than-half-used-smart-devices-301201817.html</a>
SOURCE Xiaomi

Recent Quotes

Related Companies

Xiaomi Frequently Asked Questions

How do I buy Xiaomi (XIACY) stock?

Who are Xiaomi's (XIACY) competitors?

What is the target price for Xiaomi (XIACY) stock?

Current Stock Price for Xiaomi (XIACY)?

Does Xiaomi (XIACY) pay a dividend?

When is Xiaomi (OTC:XIACY) reporting earnings?

Is Xiaomi (XIACY) going to split?

What sector and industry does Xiaomi (XIACY) operate in?