Year: 2007

Categories
Stocks

Starbucks Continues the Slide

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Last Updated on May 16, 2007 by stlplace

Reuters has an excellent article on this. I don’t need to say anything more. Yes I will buy more Starbucks if it hits 27.

Separately, I started the trial offer of Netflix, the online DVD (movie) rental service. It’s very easy to use, and one important feature I notice is: they will always send a new movie (according to viewer interest, the moive queue) once the user returns the old one. Sounds like they are trying to get the user addicted to the movie?

Seriously I think the coffee and movie are in the business of “cheer people up”.  

Categories
Stocks

Markets Mindray openIPO etc.

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Last Updated on May 15, 2007 by stlplace

Today is Tuesday May 15, the Chinese market had a huge sell down today. I don’t know the reason (sometimes the market doen’t need any reason to go down or up). But I think it’s a healthy thing for the China market has some down days in addition to the up days. Good “market risk” education for the new comers.

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China Stocks

Mixed Bag from Mindray First Quarter

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Last Updated on May 20, 2007 by stlplace

This is the report. From the Conference call, it appears they made a mistake on the announcement, I believe there was a typo on the first bullet (should be 40% rather than 24.7% YoY if exclude the large bid in 2006)

My comments on the results:  

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Categories
Fun

Gas Price is Up

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Last Updated on May 14, 2007 by stlplace

I saved an invoice of gas before the trip (early March), it was 2.379 per gallon. When I came back, it went up to 3.049 at the same Shell gas station at my neighbourhood. I don’t know what happened. Maybe I paid too much attention to the Chinese stock market and lose what’s happening in the middle east and Nigeria? One thing I do know is the crude oil price did not change too much during this period.

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China

Back to Panera Country

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Last Updated on May 13, 2007 by stlplace

I came back to St. Louis last night after staying in Shanghai for the last 10 weeks. The united 836 flight from Shanghai to Chicago took about 13 hours; it took another 5 hours to get from ORD to STL (4 hours stop over included). At one point during my 4-hour wait, I thought about driving from Chicago to St. Louis only takes 5 hours (300 miles). When I was in China, I heard  about the MagLev (bullet train) from Shanghai to Hangzhou. It will take half an hour if completed (100 miles), making Hangzhou more like a suburban of Shanghai.

panera bread

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Categories
China Stocks

Chinese Citizen Can Buy Oversea ADRs

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Last Updated on May 11, 2007 by stlplace

(Update) Here is a Chinese article explains more details. The minimum balance is RMB 300,000 to open an account inside China. Other restrictions apply.

(Original) I was wondering why the Chinese ADRs all rose today. Although I heard the China central bank is allowing domestic bank buy oversea stocks through QDII. This MarketWatch article connected the dots for me. I think this is a small way the goverment tries to divert some money from the red hot domestic stock market, especially the B shares market.

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Stocks

Mindray, Home Inns to Report Earnings

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Last Updated on May 11, 2007 by stlplace

Mindray (meeting announcement): 8:00 PM on May 14, 2007 U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 AM on May 15, 2007 Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

     Hong Kong:     +852-3002-1672
     US Toll Free:  +1-866-271-6130
     International: +1-617-213-8894
     Passcode for all regions: Mindray

Home Inns (meeting announcement): 9 PM on May 21st, 2007 U.S. Eastern Standard Time (9 AM on May 22nd, 2007 Beijing/Hong Kong time). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

     China Mainland (toll free):  10.800.130.0399
     Hong Kong:                   +852.3002.1672
     U.S. and International:      +1.617.213.8893

     Pass code for all regions:   HOME INNS

Categories
Business China

The Best Business School

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Last Updated on May 10, 2007 by stlplace

There are lots of rankings among B-schools. But I think the best B-school in the world nowadays is China. This seems biased because I am from China. OK how about I say India? 

Seriously, here are my reasonings: China is at its first stage of captalism. As I said in my previous post “is China imitating the US too closely?” China is learning from the west in many ways: from consumer goods to infrustructure (highways, 3G), from banking system to stock market, from Merge & Acquisition to branding & distribution, from automobiles to real estate, REIT, etc.  

IMG_4873

(Picture taken at SunIslandClub in Shanghai suburban Qingpu.)

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Stocks

Diversify or Diworsify?

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Last Updated on May 11, 2007 by stlplace

I think for small investors like me, one common mistake is “diversify”. Wait, isn’t “diversify” the first lesson we are taught to reduce risk? Yes, but as Peter Lynch said, “diversify” could mean “diworsify” too.

For example, I have 6 stocks in my portfolio now: CROX, HMIN, MR, GSIT, NINE and SBUX. Some are winners (CROX), some are losers (NINE). Had I hold all in CROX, my return would be much better. Of course you would say I had more risk too.

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Business China

Starbucks Stock and China Plan

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Last Updated on May 13, 2007 by stlplace

I mean the stocks (SBUX), not the latte. I believe the “so-so” same store sales number for the Q1 is the main reason for the recent drop. The stock is still not cheap by looking at PE (37), with projected rev/earning growth at about 20%. But this is Starbucks, normally they don’t go on sale. Near term, I believe SBUX is very much relying on the developed countries (a.k.a, US) for most of its revenue. For instance, in last 6 months I saw they opening up some new stores (some with drive through) in St. Louis and other midwest cities.

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