Month: June 2007

Categories
Business China

New Oriental Education EDU ?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last Updated on June 26, 2007 by stlplace

I received an email from a friend asking me whether New Oriental Eudcation (EDU) will be a good investment or not. I was not warm to it initially, changed my mind and bought it in Jan., sold it in Feb., because I did not know how to evaluate it.  

First I want to say EDU is in a very sweet spot in Chinese private education market: English and test preparation. A little background, English is a very important skill in finding good jobs in China these days: from multinational companies to domestic companies, from private sector to goverment, and non-for-profit, all because the increasing interactions between China and the west in last 20 years.

Continue reading “New Oriental Education EDU ?”
Categories
Fun Stocks

Heelys Secondary on the Deck

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 10, 2007 by stlplace

(Update June 10) Today when I visited Galleria Mall, I saw Walk ‘N Roll, a knockoff of Heelys. Unlike Crocs, I think knockoff will take a toll at Heelys’ sale.

(Original June 8 ) Here is the S1 prospectus from SEC web site. It appears the selling shareholders (mostly venture capital) filed on June 7 to unload 8 m shares. My suggestion is don’t touch this skating shoes maker because I don’t like its growth prospect. I already sold all shares which I bought during its IPO debut last Dec.

I expect the secondary will be sold very soon, maybe next week?

Categories
China Fun

Home Inns experience: the good, the bad

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 12, 2007 by stlplace

Here is a happy Home Inns customer (from Google Finance). On the other hand, here is a not-so-happy Home Inns customer, Kunwei, who (I believe) has stayed in the US and Singapore for an extended period time before returning to China.

So how do we make all of these? Not too much. The thing I want to say is everyone has his/her own criteria. Also things normally acceptable to one person/group may not be acceptable to another person/group, e.g., men normally have greater tolerance over female on cleaness, smoke etc. I think majority of Home Inns customers are happy with the hotels. They got what they paid for: a clean room, and a comfortable bed.

Continue reading “Home Inns experience: the good, the bad”
Categories
Fun

NBA Finals: what’s on your foot ?

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 8, 2007 by stlplace

It’s NBA Finals again, if you ever care. I am not a big basket ball fan, but I was fascinated by the business of NBA in recent years, especially when I saw the popularity of the basketball and NBA in China. If my memory is correct, I heard many stars including Kobe, Kevin Gannett and Shaq, visited China recently. The main reason for their trip: to promote shoes for Nike, Addidas, Li Ning (which Kobe, Kevin and Shaq are repective spokeperson).

IMG_4826

Continue reading “NBA Finals: what’s on your foot ?”
Categories
Business

Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 7, 2007 by stlplace

Here is a link to their 27th annual conference. I only listened to CROX session. One thing come out of it is they just completed a $10 m plant in Dong’guan, China; and they have a design team in China, in addition to teams in US, Canada and Italy. Crocs employs 3,500 people worldwide at this time.

CROX_cn_plant 

Continue reading “Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference”
Categories
Fun Stocks

Coffee Anyone ?

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 7, 2007 by stlplace

(Update June 7) As you would have expected, the stock dropped again (about 2.66%) after I bought it yesterday. Call it Major’s rule: stock usually drops after Major buys it. 

(Original) I got a little more Starbucks (SBUX) this morning. After I bought it I realized the stock got cheaper today probablly because Panera (PNRA) issued a warning on its Q2. PNRA was down as much as 13%, partially because of the rising price of grains.

Categories
Shanghai Composite

Citic Securities 600030

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last Updated on April 9, 2008 by stlplace

I felt this baby (600030.SS) was being thrown out of bath tub when the Shanghai Composite Index dropped from 4300 to 3600, amid the raise of stamp tax. Logic here was the raise of stamp tax will reduce stock trading, which will reduce Citic’s business from trading side.  

Citic Securities

Continue reading “Citic Securities 600030”
Categories
Fun Life

Front Bumper Problem

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 6, 2007 by stlplace

(Update June 6) The bumper is on the way now. It’s from: USAUTOPARTS NETWORK, 17150 S. MARGAY AVE, CARSON CA90746, as shown from agsystems. Not UPS or Fedex.  

(Original June 5) No I have not involved in car accident or anything. I merely demaged the front bumper because of my own carelessness: in the parking lot. Last time when I did the demage to the left side, I fixed it by putting a washer underneath and fastened it. But this time I demaged the right side. I tried the same trick but it did not work. So I went to the bodyshop. The quote is $825 (minimum) for replacement and paint (include labor).

Continue reading “Front Bumper Problem”
Categories
Fun Stocks

CROX Doubled

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Last Updated on June 5, 2007 by stlplace

On Dec 15, 2006 I bought 46 shares of CROX at $42.40. I bought and sold (traded) more CROX afterwards, but I kept those 46 shares all the time. This morning it reached as high as $85.10.

Continue reading “CROX Doubled”
Categories
China Stocks

500 Points Less Harmonious

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last Updated on June 5, 2007 by stlplace

All right, ever since the Chinese regulators found the silver bullet and pulled the trigger, the Shanghai composite index lost more than 500 points and a lot of people lost money or gave back the gains they already made, some of them are “crying foul” for the goverment action. Well, in stock market, just like in NBA, complaining to the referee usually won’t help. We should focus on what we can do to “stop the bleeding”, or “protect the gains”.

Continue reading “500 Points Less Harmonious”