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Tencent Holdings (OTC:TCEHY) Stock, Chaîne d'Options

Tencent Holdings

TENCENT HOLDINGS ADR

Tencent holds a prominent position in China's internet sector, with a diverse portfolio of products and services used daily by a significant portion of the population. The company is the world's largest video game publisher and owns Honor of Kings, a top-grossing mobile game globally. Tencent also operates WeChat, China's largest social media super app. WeChat is deeply integrated into the daily lives of Chinese people for communication, entertainment, shopping, and more. Beyond its offerings, Tencent is a significant player in global venture capital and investment. The company holds substantial stakes in leading companies including PDD, Kuaishou, and Epic Games.

TENCENT HLDGS UNSP/ADR by Tencent Holding Ltd.

Tencent Holdings Ltd

Ubisoft Entertainment SA (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBSFF#OTC">UBSFF</a>) is making a major shift in its business structure by launching a separate <a target="_blank" href="https://staticctf.ubisoft.com/8aefmxkxpxwl/1uPFqvuRRej3UoemTIgVLH/8e0cf5b6601e9394e5dae919d89e84f4/2025.03.27_-_Press_Release_vfinal.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener">entity </a>centered around its leading gaming franchises, such as Assassin&#8217;s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy&#8217;s Rainbow Six.
This initiative, announced on Thursday, aligns with the company&#8217;s larger strategic overhaul, designed to enhance flexibility and sharpen its operational focus.
Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) has committed 1.16 billion euros ($1.25 billion) to the newly established subsidiary, securing a minority ownership position.
The deal assigns the entity a valuation of roughly 4 billion euros, highlighting the significant market appeal of Ubisoft&#8217;s intellectual property.
Ubisoft&#8217;s Board of Directors unanimously approved the deal after determining it offered the best value for the company&#8217;s assets.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/contracts/25/03/44532830/rocket-lab-joins-us-space-forces-5-6-billion-launch-program-stock-soars" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rocket Lab Joins US Space Force&#8217;s $5.6 Billion Launch Program; Stock Soars</a>
Through this reorganization, Ubisoft plans to transform its leading game franchises into enduring, multi-platform ecosystems.
&#8220;As we accelerate the company&#8217;s transformation, this is a foundational step in changing Ubisoft&#8217;s operating model that will enable us to be both agile and ambitious. We are focused on building strong game ecosystems designed to become evergreen, growing high-performing brands and creating new IPs powered by cutting-edge and emerging technologies,&#8221; said Co-Founder and CEO Yves Guillemot.
The new subsidiary will benefit from greater financial backing and creative capabilities, enabling richer single-player narratives, broader multiplayer experiences, free-to-play access points, and improved social features within its games.
By establishing this new subsidiary, Ubisoft seeks to bolster its financial position by substantially lowering its net debt and driving the expansion of its most successful titles.
The company will also remain committed to developing franchises such as Tom Clancy&#8217;s Ghost Recon and The Division, while exploring innovative technologies for upcoming intellectual properties.
The new entity, headquartered in France, will remain under Ubisoft&#8217;s full control, with Tencent holding an approximate 25% economic interest. The deal is expected to close before the end of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
In addition to its minority investment, Tencent will receive certain rights, including a five-year lock-up period on its shares, a right of first refusal, and a put option in case of a change of control at Ubisoft.
Price Action: UBSFF shares closed higher by 9.39% at $15.79 on Thursday.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44517020/ev-maker-mullen-automotive-to-further-cut-costs-and-slash-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EV Maker Mullen Automotive To Further Cut Costs And Slash Workforce: Details</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Equities

News

TCEHY

UBSFF

Assassin's Creed Maker Ubisoft's Gaming Subsidiary Secures $1.25 Billion Tencent Backing In Major Deal

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese semiconductor companies</a> continue to face the Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) chip crisis amid Washington&#8217;s semiconductor sanctions on China.
Chinese server maker H3C highlighted a possible Nvidia H20 chip crisis to Reuters, adding that current inventory was nearly depleted.
H3C told Reuters that supply plans beyond April 20 also face uncertainties from raw material policy changes, shipping disruptions, and production challenges.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44511372/alibaba-strikes-back-new-ai-model-takes-on-deepseek-amid-1-trillion-tech-shakeup" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Strikes Back With New AI Model To Rival DeepSeek In China</a>
The Chinese server maker told Reuters it would distribute incoming H20 chips, prioritizing long-term customers with higher profit margins on their orders.
H3C attributed the crisis to geopolitical tension and said new shipments were expected by mid-April 2025.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek&#8217;s cost-effective AI models have triggered demand for H20 chips. Tencent Holding (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>), Alibaba&nbsp;Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), and ByteDance ramped up orders&nbsp;of the H20 since DeepSeek emerged.
H3C is a major OEM partner for Nvidia&#8217;s AI chips in China. Reportedly, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44493961/nvidia-faces-17-billion-threat-in-china-as-chip-rules-tighten-and-huawei-gains-ground" rel="noreferrer noopener">China urged firms</a> like Alibaba and Tencent to avoid Nvidia chips, while Huawei&nbsp;Technologies Co doubled the yield rate of AI chips.
China has also introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44493961/nvidia-faces-17-billion-threat-in-china-as-chip-rules-tighten-and-huawei-gains-ground" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy efficiency rules</a> for using advanced chips that would prevent Chinese companies from buying Nvidia&#8217;s tailor-made processors. Reportedly, Nvidia&#8217;s tailor-made chip for China, H20, failed to comply with China&#8217;s National Development and Reform Commission&#8217;s new rules.
Price Action: NVDA stock is down 0.98% at $112.68 at the last check on Thursday.
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/44493961" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In Geopolitical Chess, China&#8217;s Latest Energy Norms Block Nvidia&#8217;s Chip Strategy Amid US Sanctions</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy of Nvidia

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NVDA

Nvidia Faces Fresh China Setback As Chip Shortages And Sanctions Disrupt Supply

Jim Cramer has criticized potential restrictions on Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) in China, dismissing reports of regulatory challenges as &#8220;pathetic.&#8221; 
What Happened: In a recent post on X, Cramer challenged the logic of limiting access to Nvidia&#8217;s advanced chips, asking, &#8220;Like China would ban the best of the best? Really?&#8221;
The criticism comes amid emerging tensions between the United States and China in the semiconductor technology sector. China&#8217;s National Development and Reform Commission has introduced new energy efficiency rules that could potentially block Chinese companies from purchasing Nvidia&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44493961/nvidia-faces-17-billion-threat-in-china-as-chip-rules-tighten-and-huawei-gains-ground">specialized H20 processors</a>.
Cramer acknowledged the mounting challenges Nvidia faces but expressed confidence in CEO Jensen Huang's ability to steer the company through them successfully.
The Financial Times reported that these regulations may prevent major Chinese tech firms like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NASDAQ">BABA</a>) and Tencent Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#NASDAQ">TCEHY</a>) from using Nvidia&#8217;s chips. This move threatens Nvidia&#8217;s $17 billion annual business in China, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44493961/nvidia-faces-17-billion-threat-in-china-as-chip-rules-tighten-and-huawei-gains-ground">currently its fourth-largest market</a>.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Like every day, the Long Knives are out again for Nvdia. Today&#39;s bear: <a href="https://t.co/5SGVUbebYJ">https://t.co/5SGVUbebYJ</a> says that Nvidia&#39;s chips violate Chinese environmental rules. Pathetic&#8230;
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1904829001786364146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The forces against Nvidia are legion. But Jensen can handle it. The world, including china, needs more compute. You can&#39;t do it without Nvidia. Like China would ban the best of the best? Really?
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1904852538974777357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Yeah, and the Chinese have WHAT to replace Nvidia chips? And the new chips are the least hot. Makes me laugh how these stories come out. Sure the country that builds endless amounts of coal plants is going to cut its nose off to spite its face? Just plain dumb
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1904852224846540956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44506717/trumps-25-auto-tariff-raises-will-cast-shadow-on-interest-rates-says-economist-tesla-investor-gary-black-says-president-found-further-ways-to-push-the-economy-into-recession-today">Trump&#8217;s 25% Auto Tariff Raises Will Put Pressure On Interest Rates, Says Economist — Tesla Investor Gary Black Says President Found &#8216;Further Ways To Push The Economy Into Recession Today&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Cramer emphasized the critical nature of Nvidia&#8217;s technology, stating, &#8220;The world, including China, needs more compute. You can&#8217;t do it without Nvidia.&#8221; He further questioned China&#8217;s ability to replace Nvidia&#8217;s advanced chips, suggesting the restrictions would be counterproductive. 
Nvidia remains resilient, with plans to meet with commission chair Zheng Shanjie and develop solutions to align with the new regulations. The company&#8217;s recent financial performance underscores its strong market position, with fourth-quarter revenue reaching $39.3 billion, a 78% increase, and projecting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44493961/nvidia-faces-17-billion-threat-in-china-as-chip-rules-tighten-and-huawei-gains-ground">first-quarter revenue of $43.0 billion</a>.
As domestic competitors like Huawei Technologies Co. advance their AI chip capabilities, the semiconductor landscape continues to evolve in this high-stakes technological chess match between global powers.
Price Action: Nvidia traded at $113.76 on Wednesday, down 5.74%, and slipped further to $112.21 in after-hours trading, down 1.36%. 
While Nvidia outperforms Intel Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) in growth and momentum, it lags in valuation metrics, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA">Benzinga Edge</a> rankings. For deeper insights, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks">sign up for Benzinga Edge</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/03/44506704/bitcoin-ethereum-drop-dogecoin-gains-as-stocks-flounder-on-trumps-auto-tariff-move-analyst-sees-signs-of-renewed-interest-in-btc">Bitcoin, Ethereum Drop, Dogecoin Gains As Stocks Flounder On Trump&#8217;s Auto Tariff Move: Analyst Sees Signs Of &#8216;Renewed Interest&#8217; In BTC</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Markets

INTC

Jim Cramer Calls China's Nvidia Restrictions 'Pathetic,' Says Jensen Huang Can Handle The Pressure

Geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to intensify regarding access to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence and</a> other advanced semiconductor technology.
The U.S. had imposed multiple semiconductor embargoes on China, restricting the latter&#8217;s exposure to cutting-edge technology from Nvidia Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>). The move is followed by China&#8217;s retaliation.
China has introduced energy efficiency rules for using advanced chips that would prevent Chinese companies from buying Nvidia&#8217;s tweaked processors, the Financial Times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/6a2c54fe-e2b7-4c58-907d-68076456d907" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing documents they reviewed.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/44006332/nvidia-faces-new-ai-chip-challenge-as-huawei-gains-ground-in-china-despite-us-sanctions" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia Faces New AI Chip Challenge As Huawei Gains Ground In China Despite US Sanctions</a>
China&#8217;s National Development and Reform Commission urged Chinese groups to use tailor-made chips in new data centers and expansion of existing facilities.
According to the report, Nvidia&#8217;s tailor-made chip for China, H20, failed to comply with the commission&#8217;s new rules.
Reportedly, the Chinese regulator has passively urged Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), ByteDance, and Tencent Holding (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) against procuring H20 chips, signifying a threat to Nvidia&#8217;s $17 billion annual business in the country. China is Nvidia&#8217;s fourth-largest market.
Reportedly, Nvidia is eying a meeting between its senior executives and commission chair Zheng Shanjie. Also, Nvidia is ready with a solution to adjust H20 chips to meet the NDRC norms.
Tech powerhouses from Alibaba to Tencent aggressively ramped up their orders for H20 chips this year after DeepSeek launched its efficient reasoning model.
Reportedly, Huawei Technologies Co <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44488569/chinas-huawei-reportedly-doubles-ai-chip-yields-to-40-now-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-warns-that-the-chinese-tech-giant-is-the-most-formidable-competitor-despite-us-sanctions" rel="noreferrer noopener">doubled the yield rate</a> on its latest AI chips from around 20% a year ago to&nbsp;~40% now. Huawei&#8217;s revenue grew by 22% in 2024, reaching 860 billion yuan ($118.27 billion).
In February, Nvidia reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43991607/nvidia-q4-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-beat-demand-for-blackwell-is-amazing" rel="noreferrer noopener">fourth-quarter revenue</a> of $39.3 billion, up 78%, beating a Street consensus estimate of $38.05 billion.
Nvidia expects first-quarter revenue of $43.0 billion, +/—2%, ahead of a street consensus estimate of $41.75 billion.
Price Action: NVDA stock is down 1.83% at $118.47 premarket at last check Wednesday.
Also Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44330619/tesla-bets-on-low-cost-evs-in-china-after-february-sales-hit-two-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Bets On Low-Cost EVs in China After February Sales Hit Two-Year Low</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by fukomuffin on Shutterstock

Movers

In Geopolitical Chess, China's Latest Energy Norms Block Nvidia's Chip Strategy Amid US Sanctions

Perhaps predictably, President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/03/44456554/trade-wars-fed-moves-and-a-40-recession-risk-is-your-portfolio-ready">tariffs and subsequent trade wars</a> against key economic partners contributed to a dour environment for consumers. However, it wouldn't be accurate to pin the blame on any one administration. With the fear trade running at full steam – as evidenced by the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/partner/etfs/25/03/44434209/gold-is-hitting-new-highs-but-miners-have-catch-up-potential-sprotts-new-actively-managed-etf-seeks">blistering rise of gold</a> – it's apparent that the underlying challenges go beyond mere politics.
As things stand, investors seeking growth find themselves at a difficult juncture. Nevertheless, some adventurous market participants are turning to China for potential opportunities for capital appreciation. To be fair, the world's second-largest economy has incurred its own troubles to kickstart sentiment. Last year, Beijing attempted to<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/01/43168134/is-chinas-economic-stimulus-strategy-helping-its-ailing-markets-to-recover"> kickstart its growth engine with stimulus packages</a> to mixed results.
Nevertheless, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed optimism about the Asian juggernaut's recovery prospects. Last December, Xi announced in a keynote speech that the Chinese economy was<a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/how-long-xi-trying-boost-chinas-economy-stimulus-not-reforms/"> both stable and making progress</a>. Furthermore, he stressed that economic, social and development goals and tasks were on course for successful implementation.
Xi's comments at the time were met with some reservations. While Morgan Stanley analysts noted the administration's commitment to stimulus – a tone that has been the most aggressive on the matter in a decade – they also acknowledged that execution may be a challenge.
Still, recent developments suggest that the China trade may hold a spark of credibility. Specifically, the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44476803/copper-breaks-records-on-china-stimulus-tariff-hype-these-stocks-are-riding-the-wave"> price of copper just blew past record highs</a>, thanks largely to stimulus optimism in China, and Beijing's efforts to drive growth are beginning to show in the actual data. This dynamic has positive implications for multiple industries, which in turn bodes well for the nation's consumers.
The Direxion ETF: Adding to the enthusiasm, China's economic growth – while acknowledging the turbulence – is being underpinned by household consumption. With retail sales continuing to expand on a year-over-year basis, this backdrop shines a spotlight on the Direxion Daily CSI China Internet Index Bull 2X Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CWEB#NYSE">CWEB</a>).
A leveraged exchange-traded fund, CWEB offers diversified exposure to China's most important internet businesses, including Tencent Holdings ADR (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>), Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) and JD.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JD#NASDAQ">JD</a>). With this ETF, speculators can wager on a basket of securities rather than an individual name.
An additional motivation to consider the China internet bull fund is the convenience factor. For speculators seeking leveraged bets, the options market tends to be the sole solution. With leveraged ETFs, however, investors can pick up shares (called units) much like buying equity in a public enterprise.
Despite the ease of buying leveraged ETFs, they do come with significant risks. Primarily, these financial instruments are much more volatile than traditional assets. Also, 2X ETFs are designed for exposure lasting no longer than one day. A hold longer than this recommended period may result in unpredictable performance relative to the underlying benchmark due to the daily compounding effect.
The CWEB ETF: While a choppy fund, the Direxion Daily CSI China ETF has been a strong performer overall in the past 52 weeks, gaining over 49%.
<ul>
<li>Presently, the leveraged bull fund is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, demonstrating robust momentum.</li>
<li>Between December and late February, CWEB charted a pattern reminiscent of a cup and handle, culminating in significant upside.</li>
<li>It's possible that the choppy behavior since mid-February could be a consolidation cycle, building momentum prior to another big move.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXejkzAyYcln0C3vYhuEAOPRRGHbzi4MP_xCUKg8Amnn1XMxUL9bnsR8UINwVUnWAXJQwTtThLxyF0mqez2zXk9UsrgN4dan29CTFRhSWmrFa228LCtLvuwOMfQtkE0jtSUzWnEqaQ?key=PYpO6SSukKlb3tzVdwnpEWyq" alt="" /></figure>
Featured photo by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/756crystal-5743046/">756crystal</a> on <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/river-waterfront-shanghai-china-7187070/">Pixabay</a>.

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CWEB

Direxion's China-Focused CWEB ETF In Spotlight Amid Challenging Environment

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="500" height="280" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20064115/DouYu-0320.png" alt="" class="wp-image-8357" style="width:920px;height:auto" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20064115/DouYu-0320.png 500w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20064115/DouYu-0320-300x168.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure>
The company's stock jumped 17% after it reported strong progress in moving beyond its legacy livestream gaming business, even as its quarterly loss swelled
<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key Takeaways:</h4>
<ul>
<li>DouYu's fourth-quarter revenue sank by 12% and its net loss more than doubled as its monthly average users fell 14% to 44.5 million</li>
<li>The company's revenue from advertising and other sources rose 63.6% last year to make up 28% of its revenue as it diversifies from its original livestream gaming business</li>
</ul>
Its name means "fighting fish," and these days&nbsp;DouYu International Holdings Ltd.&nbsp;(DOYU.US) may indeed be fighting a battle for survival as its livestreaming business that once lifted it to fame slips away. Its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dou-yu-international-holdings-limited-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-unaudited-financial-results-302401832.html">latest quarterly results</a>&nbsp;released last week showed continuing declines in revenue during the fourth quarter, extending a string of declines dogging the company for the last four years. At the same time, its quarterly loss more than doubled, as the company fell into the red for the year.
But investors took heart in the company's progress toward diversifying away from livestream gaming, which has come under pressure from stiff competition and government clampdowns to limit online time by minors. Some may also be betting DouYu's days as a standalone company could be numbered as it becomes a potential merger or acquisition target, which would likely see it sold at a premium to its current share price.
Co-CEO Ren Simin said on the company's earnings call that DouYu plans to allocate more resources to its newer businesses this year. "Our strategy is not about contraction, it's about reallocating our resources from inefficient initiatives to high-value business segments," she said.
While building up those business is a longer-term goal, reversing the company's sliding revenue – which has been contracting since 2021 – is a more immediate objective. That slide continued in the fourth quarter, as the company's revenue fell 12.3% to 1.14 billion yuan ($156 million) from 1.3 billion yuan a year earlier. Its net loss widened to 163.7 million yuan from a loss of 62.2 million yuan in the same quarter of 2023.
Average mobile monthly active users (MAU) fell 14% year-on-year during the quarter to 44.5 million. But in an encouraging sign, the latest figure was up 5.9% from the previously quarter. Average paying users also fell year-on-year in the fourth quarter from 3.7 million in 2023 to 3.3 million in the latest period.
The company is trying to restart its growth by focusing on its "other businesses," which include advertising, voice based social networking and game membership services. Revenue from that segment rose 47.2% year-on-year to 405 million yuan in the fourth quarter, and the figure grew by 63.6% for the year to 1.2 billion yuan.
Investors seemed to focus on the strong gains in DouYu's diversification drive, with shares leaping 17% in the two trading days after the announcement. But other factors were also likely at work behind the rally.
One clue was a 35% drop in the company's cash from 6.86 billion yuan at the end of 2023 to 4.47 billion yuan at the end of 2024. Officials said on the earnings call that Douyu spent $620 million on dividends and share buybacks since the start of 2024, including its latest cash dividend in January this year. Vice president of finance Cao Hao said that the company's cash reserves were sufficient to re-allocate resources to its growing businesses and manage business fluctuations, while "substantially" reducing net losses.
That seems to indicate DouYu is prioritizing shareholders and share price stability while accepting the inevitable rise of larger competitors, particularly Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
<h4 class="wp-block-heading">M&amp;A coming?</h4>
Investor enthusiasm may also owe to renewed expectation for a potential privatization or purchase of the company by a larger rival, which would likely include a premium to the company's current share price. One potential buyer could be leading game company&nbsp;Tencent&nbsp;(0700.HK), which is already a major DouYu stakeholder with 38% of the company's shares.
Tencent has been buying up gaming assets lately, including video game studios from Douyin parent ByteDance, which has retreated from the sector. Some may be guessing that Tencent may also make bids to privatize DouYu and rival&nbsp;Huya&nbsp;(HUYA.US), which also counts Tencent as a major shareholder and whose situation is similar to DouYu's. Tencent previously tried to engineer a merger of DouYu and Huya, but that bid was ultimately vetoed by China's market regulator in 2021 on anti-trust grounds.
Similar to DouYu, Huya on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huya-inc-reports-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-2024-unaudited-financial-results-and-announces-dividend-plan-302404138.html">reported</a>&nbsp;a 2.3% year-over-year revenue decline during the fourth quarter to 1.5 billion yuan, while its net loss narrowed to 172.2 million yuan from a loss of 275 million yuan a year earlier. Like DouYu, Huya's livestreaming revenue is falling, dropping from 6.5 billion yuan for the full year in 2023 to 4.7 billion yuan last year.
While the original DouYu-Huya merger plan was squashed, the regulator might see things differently now as the livestream gaming industry suffers under the weight of government restrictions, competition from newer players like Douyin and weak consumer sentiment. Chinese media have reported such a merger may only be a matter of time, and Tencent's investment team met with senior executives from both companies last year to discuss such a plan.
While DouYu's and Huya's revenues from livestreaming have been shrinking, Douyin and&nbsp;Kuaishou&nbsp;(1024.HK) have been expanding fast in the livestreaming space. Kuaishou previously reported its third-quarter revenue rose by 11.4% to 31.1 billion yuan year-on-year, and its profit was up 49.9% to 2.1 billion yuan.
One other data point supporting prospects for a DouYu-Huya merger or third-party acquisition of one or both, is recent signs of cooperation between the two platforms. These began last March with a simultaneous broadcast of a livestreamer's broadcast on "Honor of Kings," a popular game operated by Tencent, on DouYu, Huya and Tencent's own WeChat.
Any such merger involving Tencent would be easily affordable by Tencent, since it's quite cash rich and already owns 38% of DouYu as well as 50% of Huya. Based on DouYu's latest market cap of $265 million and Huya's $838 million, Tencent would need to pay $162 million for the rest of DouYu, and another $420 million for the rest of Huya, or about $580 million combined.
DouYu's current price-to-sales (P/S) ratio stands at just 0.44, well below Huya's 1.02, making the company look undervalued. That may reflect the tepid view towards DouYu by the analyst community, with all five analysts polled by Yahoo Finance rating the company a "hold."

Opinion

DOYU

Is Tencent Interested in Buying DouYu?

Chinese gaming giant&nbsp;Tencent Holding Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) reported fiscal&nbsp;fourth-quarter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://static.www.tencent.com/uploads/2025/03/19/81cb1f36bec218d27d6e0b24eec012b6.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 </a>results on Wednesday.
Revenue grew&nbsp;11%&nbsp;year-on-year to&nbsp;CNY172.4 billion&nbsp;($24.0 billion), quashing the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate of&nbsp;CNY168.95 billion.
Combined, the MAU of Weixin and WeChat grew by&nbsp;3% Y/Y&nbsp;to 1.385 billion as of December 31, 2024.
Fee-based VAS registered subscriptions grew&nbsp;7%&nbsp;Y/Y&nbsp;to 262 million. Mobile device MAU of QQ fell&nbsp;5% Y/Y&nbsp;to 524 million as of December 31, 2024.
Revenues from VAS increased by&nbsp;14%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;CNY79.0 billion. International Games revenues were&nbsp;CNY16.0 billion, up&nbsp;15%&nbsp;Y/Y, due to strong performances from games including PUBG MOBILE&nbsp;and Brawl Stars along with the early access release of Path of Exile 2.
Domestic Games revenues increased by&nbsp;23%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;CNY33.2 billion, driven by games including VALORANT, Honour of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite, and DnF Mobile, along with contributions from newly released games, DnF Mobile and Delta Force.
Social Networks revenues rose by&nbsp;6%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;CNY29.8 billion, supported by growth in app-based game virtual item sales, music subscription revenues and Mini Games platform service fees.
Revenues from Marketing Services upped 17% Y/Y to CNY35.0 billion, aided by strong advertiser demand for Video Accounts, Mini Programs, and&nbsp;Weixin Search&nbsp;inventories.
Revenues from FinTech and Business Services upped 3%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;CNY56.1 billion on higher revenues from wealth management services and consumer loan services.
Gross profit climbed&nbsp;17%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;CNY90.7 billion ($12.6 billion) in the quarter, with margin expansion of&nbsp;53% from 50% a prior-year quarter.
Adjusted operating profit surged 21% Y/Y to CNY59.5 billion, with the margin expanding 2.8ppt Y/Y to 34.5%.
Adjusted net income attributable to equity holders increased 30% Y/Y to CNY55.3 billion ($7.7 billion). Adjusted EPS of CNY5.91 beat the CNY5.46 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyst consensus estimate</a>.
As of December 31, 2024, Tencent had&nbsp;CNY415.4 billion ($57.8 billion)&nbsp;in cash and equivalents and generated&nbsp;CNY155.3 billion ($21.6 billion)&nbsp;in free cash flow.
In 2024, the company bought back around 307 million shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for around HKD112.0 billion ($14.4 billion).
For 2025, Tencent plans to raise the annual dividend by 32% to HKD4.50 per share and repurchase at least HKD80 billion ($10 billion) worth of shares.
Ma Huateng, Chairman and CEO of Tencent, highlighted that AI-driven improvements to the advertising platform, increased engagement with Video Accounts, and growth in the core games led to achieved double-digit revenue growth while maintaining operational leverage in the quarter.
He further added that the company has restructured the AI teams to focus on both rapid product innovation and in-depth model research. They also ramped up AI-related capital investments, along with increased R&amp;D and marketing for AI-native products.
Price Action: TCEHY stock closed lower by 0.43% at $69.49 on Tuesday.
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</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Earnings

Large Cap

Tencent Q4 Earnings Soar: 30% Surge In Net Income, Strong Performance From Games And AI

Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) reported quarterly earnings of RMB5.91 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of RMB5.46 by 8.22 percent. This is a 33 percent increase over earnings of RMB4.44 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of RMB172.45 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of RMB168.95 billion by 2.07 percent. This is a 11.11 percent increase over sales of RMB155.20 billion the same period last year.

Earnings Beats

Tencent Holdings Q4 2024 Adj EPS RMB5.91 Beats RMB5.46 Estimate, Sales RMB172.45B Beat RMB168.95B Estimate

China&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minister of Commerce</a> on Tuesday stated at the Third Session of the 14th National People&#8217;s Congress that consumption remains the primary driver of economic growth. Service consumption has maintained positive momentum, emerging as a new growth engine in overall consumption. 
Benchmark analyst Fawne Jiang noted that in 2024, the biggest highlight in consumption was the &#8220;trade-in&#8221; policy, which has generated new momentum, driving industrial upgrades and transformation.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/25/03/44229408/alibaba-unveils-new-ai-chip-to-power-chinas-open-source-tech-push-challenge-us-chip-giants" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Unveils New AI Chip To Power China&#8217;s Open-Source Tech Push, Challenge US Chip Giants</a>
Jiang added that in 2025, the trade-in program will be expanded and upgraded, with broader subsidy coverage for more product categories. Actions will be taken to enhance the quality of service consumption, with a series of initiatives organized to promote service consumption.
The Minister of Commerce stated that the main issue with commodity consumption lies in softer consumer purchasing power and willingness, making it the primary challenge on the demand side. In contrast, the main challenge for service consumption is on the supply side, with an insufficient supply of high-quality services.
Meituan (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MPNGY#OTC">MPNGY</a>) CEO Wang Xing recently hosted an internal meeting with senior executives, highlighting a focus on food &amp; grocery retail, international expansion, and technology for the next decade, Jiang noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Alibaba Group Holding&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Hema is reported to be continuing to expand Freshippo Stores, with a key focus on the Fresh offering, the analyst stated. It plans to open about 100 new stores and expand into dozens of new cities.
Alibaba&#8217;s Ele.me is said to be investing more than 1 billion yuan (about $140 million) to support merchants by offering discounted commission rates, special subsidies, exclusive traffic, digital operation services, hardware facilities, and AI technology capabilities.
Grab Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GRAB#NASDAQ">GRAB</a>) is reportedly acquiring the supermarket chain Everrise in Malaysia to expand its grocery business further in one of its key markets. Grab plans to digitize Everrise&#8217;s operations and introduce on-demand grocery delivery services for its customers, Jiang said.
Alibaba has released an open-sourced new inference model, QwQ-32B. Leveraging large-scale reinforcement learning, QwQ-32B has achieved a breakthrough in mathematics, coding, and general capabilities, with overall performance comparable to DeepSeek-R1. Additionally, QwQ-32B significantly reduced deployment costs and can be locally deployed on consumer-grade GPUs.
Tencent Holding&#8217;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) Hunyuan has launched an image-to-video model and made it open-source for the public. Businesses and developers can apply for API access through Tencent Cloud.
Alibaba Cloud aims to encourage the adoption of generative AI foundational models among Japanese enterprises, offering tailored adjustments and customizations based on client needs, the analyst noted. The company plans to increase the number of Japanese projects utilizing Alibaba&#8217;s models to over 1,000 within three years.
Also Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44254562/deepseek-stays-free-founder-rejects-monetization-plans-new-reasoning-model-amid-alibaba-talks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DeepSeek Wants To Stay Free As Of Now, Founder Rejects Monetization</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Ratings

GRAB

MPNGY

Alibaba, Grab, Tencent, Meituan Gear Up For Growth As China Bets On Services To Revive Economy

As China's AI race accelerates, the viral autonomous agent Manus AI has partnered with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Qwen team to develop a localized version tailored for Chinese users.
What Happened: Manus, which was developed by Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>)-backed startup The Butterfly Effect, announced the development on Tuesday, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3301986/ai-agent-manus-partners-alibabas-qwen-develop-chinese-version">reported</a> the South China Morning Post.
The partnership aims to ensure all Manus features run on domestic models and infrastructure, though a specific launch date has not been disclosed.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44238979/palantir-cofounder-peter-thiel-might-write-a-book-about-ancient-prophecies-the-antichrist-and-armageddon-he-thinks-were-ignoring-the-real-threat">Palantir Cofounder Peter Thiel Might Write A Book About Ancient Prophecies, The Antichrist, And Armageddon— He Thinks We&#8217;re Ignoring The Real Threat</a>
A representative from Alibaba Cloud confirmed the collaboration to the publication, saying both companies are working on open-source models and looking to support broader AI innovation in China.
Why It's Important: Manus gained <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44214424/move-over-deepseek-not-so-fast-chinas-manus-ai-goes-viral-but-early-users-say-it-crashes-loops-and-fumbles-the-basics">global attention last week</a> after its invitation-only web preview showcased its ability to perform complex tasks.
A day after the launch of Manus AI Agent, Alibaba also introduced its latest AI reasoning model, saying that it outperforms competing models from OpenAI and DeepSeek.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Manus AI agent, which builds on models such as Anthropic's Claude and fine-tuned versions of Alibaba's Qwen, is now being compared to <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44103985/74-of-deepseeks-output-mimics-openais-chatgpt-new-study-reveals-it-does-raise-questions-about-its-development">Chinese AI frontrunner</a> DeepSeek.
Moreover, Alibaba's Qwen models, open-sourced since August 2023, have powered more than 90,000 derivative models worldwide, according to data from Hugging Face, an AI and machine-learning developer platform.
Alibaba&#8217;s wholesale marketplace arm has also set an ambitious goal for full AI adoption by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/03/44241563/alibabas-wholesale-marketplace-arm-sets-ambitious-goal-for-full-ai-adoption-by-merchants-in-2025">merchants by the end of 2025</a>.
Price Action: Alibaba shares have climbed 63.65% year-to-date. On Tuesday, the stock rose 4.789% to $139.02 during the regular session and added another 0.97% afterward, <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">according to Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Tada Images on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43120820/if-you-invested-1000-in-bitcoin-when-peter-thiel-said-the-top-crypto-might-not-rise-dramatically-heres-how-much-youd-have-made-today" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">If You Invested $1,000 In Bitcoin When Billionaire Peter Thiel Said BTC Might Not Rise ‘Dramatically,' Here's How Much You'd Have Made Today</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

China's Viral AI Agent Manus Taps Alibaba's Qwen For Local Expansion: What You Need To Know

As Wall Street grapples with volatility and recession fears, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/china">China's stock market</a> is on a tear. While the S&amp;P 500 index is down over 4.6% year-to-date, three China-based stocks have surged more than 50%, fueled by AI investments and shifting investor sentiment.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">China's AI Boom Powers A Market Comeback</h1>
Citi recently revised its stance on U.S. stocks to Neutral from Overweight, citing economic slowdown concerns, <a href="https://www.businessworld.in/article/citi-downgrades-us-stocks-upgrades-china-550472">reported</a> Business World. Meanwhile, the firm upgraded China's rating to Overweight, adjusting its GDP growth forecast to 4.7% from 4.5%, thanks to heightened AI-driven investments.
Goldman Sachs echoed this sentiment, as <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-stock-market-volatility-china-rally-tariffs-deepseek-goldman-sachs-2025-3">reported</a> by Markets Insider, noting that China&#8217;s technology industry remains undervalued compared to global peers.
The MSCI China Index gained 20% YTD, its best start to a year ever. Analysts at Goldman Sachs highlighted that global mutual funds, which had largely stayed away from Chinese equities, are now reconsidering their stance. If institutional investors increase their allocation by just 1%, it could drive an estimated $8 billion in net buying.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44235317/trump-xi-discuss-potential-birthday-summit-amid-rising-trade-tensions-report">Trump, Xi Discuss Potential &#8216;Birthday Summit&#8217; Amid Rising Trade Tensions: Report</a>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">These 3 Stocks Are Leading China's Market Rally</h1>
Interestingly, three of 10 stocks (of market cap $2 billion and above) that have delivered the highest returns YTD, are from China:
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>No.</td>
<td>Ticker</td>
<td>Company</td>
<td>Perf YTD (as of 2 p.m. ET, March 11)</td>
<td>Country</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>VNET</td>
<td>VNET Group Inc</td>
<td>132.41%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>XPEV</td>
<td>Xpeng Inc</td>
<td>128.74%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>TUYA</td>
<td>Tuya Inc</td>
<td>126.44%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>HEES</td>
<td>H&amp;E Equipment Services, Inc.</td>
<td>94.17%</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>ROOT</td>
<td>Root Inc</td>
<td>91.13%</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>KC</td>
<td>Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Ltd</td>
<td>67.73%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>HSAI</td>
<td>Hesai Group</td>
<td>44.73%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>BABA</td>
<td>Alibaba Group Holding Ltd</td>
<td>62.70%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>GDS</td>
<td>GDS Holdings Ltd</td>
<td>64.24%</td>
<td>China</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>ITCI</td>
<td>Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc</td>
<td>55.82%</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Among the biggest winners in China's stock market rebound are:
<ol start="1">
<li>VNET Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VNET#NASDAQ">VNET</a>): Up 132.41% YTD, this data center services provider has capitalized on China's growing cloud and AI infrastructure needs.</li>
<li>XPeng Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPEV#NYSE">XPEV</a>): The EV maker soared 128.74% YTD, riding the wave of China&#8217;s push for AI-driven autonomous driving.</li>
<li>Tuya Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TUYA#NYSE">TUYA</a>) – A major player in AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), Tuya has climbed 126.44% YTD, benefiting from AI-driven automation trends.</li>
</ol>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Wall Street's Volatility Shifts Attention Eastward</h1>
While US stocks struggle, Chinese equities are benefiting from a shift in sentiment. The S&amp;P 500 has fallen below its 200-day moving average, and its market leaders are lagging, raising concerns about near-term performance. 
Citi's macro strategist Dirk Willer noted that while U.S. stocks might regain momentum when the AI surge resumes, short-term growth prospects appear weaker relative to global markets.
The Hang Seng Tech Index has surged 32% YTD, with major players like Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABAF#NYSE">BABAF</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), Tencent Holdings (OTCPK: TCEHY) and Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) all posting double-digit gains.
Analysts believe China&#8217;s latest AI-driven tech breakthroughs could have staying power, making it a compelling play amid U.S. market jitters.
With Citi and Goldman Sachs pointing to China&#8217;s AI-driven resurgence, investors are taking a fresh look at Chinese stocks. While Wall Street navigates uncertainty, China's top-performing equities are proving hard to ignore.
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</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Global

ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD by Alibaba Group Holding Limited

BABAF

BIDU

TUYA

VNET

XPEV

3 China Stocks Soaring Over 50% YTD — While The S&P 500 Sinks

DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has rejected investor proposals to monetize his programs. Liang did not want to charge for DeepSeek's core AI models, which the company has open-sourced, the Wall Street Journal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/investors-want-a-piece-of-deepseek-its-founder-says-not-now-24e9f799" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
DeepSeek aims to release its next reasoning, designed for solving complex problems by April, the report said.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/25/03/44229408/alibaba-unveils-new-ai-chip-to-power-chinas-open-source-tech-push-challenge-us-chip-giants" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Unveils New AI Chip To Power China's Open-Source Tech Push, Challenge US Chip Giants</a>
Liang joined Chinese executives who&nbsp;met leader Xi Jinping&nbsp;on February 17. According to sources, the state-owned Bank of China has offered to grant the company a low-interest loan.
The sources indicated that executives from China's Tencent Holding (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) and&nbsp;Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) &nbsp;have recently met Liang to discuss potential cooperation.
The Chinese artificial intelligence startup founder snubbed prospective investors, citing his preference for retaining the science project ethos.
Sources familiar with the matter say Wenfeng&nbsp;feared that outsiders would interfere in DeepSeek's decisions.
He noted that Beijing's connection could make winning the global adoption of DeepSeek's AI models harder.
DeepSeek chatbot's popularity caused frequent service hiccups and drew global sanctions due to data security concerns.
The Trump administration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44201104/usa-targets-deepseek-weighs-restrictions-on-chinas-ai-firm-that-shook-nvidias-market-value-by-600-billion" rel="noreferrer noopener">is considering restricting</a> the Chinese&nbsp;artificial intelligence DeepSeek, including banning their chatbot from government devices.
Several U.S. allies, including Italy, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan, have limited the use of DeepSeek. DeepSeek's handling of user data has sparked national security concerns.
When DeepSeek claimed that its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44201104/usa-targets-deepseek-weighs-restrictions-on-chinas-ai-firm-that-shook-nvidias-market-value-by-600-billion" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI model was</a> built at a fraction of the cost of its U.S. rivals, it led to Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) losing $600 billion in market cap in&nbsp;a single day. DeepSeek's AI model fueled a $1 trillion market wipeout.
Reportedly, the U.S. is probing DeepSeek for possible Nvidia chip embargo violations.
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Photo by Erlin Diah via Shutterstock

DeepSeek Wants To Stay Free As Of Now, Founder Rejects Monetization

The U.S. and China are in early talks for a potential &#8220;birthday summit&#8221; between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/china">Xi Jinping in June</a>.
What Happened: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/china/u-s-china-discuss-a-trump-xi-summit-for-june-04610b8f?mod=hp_lead_pos2">According </a>to the Wall Street Journal, the discussions come as the Trump administration <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/trump-tariffs">escalates tariffs and trade</a> measures against China, aiming to gain leverage in negotiations.
The summit, timed around the leaders&#8217; June birthdays—Trump on June 14, 1946, and Xi on June 15, 1953—could introduce goodwill amid trade tensions that have rattled global markets. Both leaders have shown interest in a summit since Trump's November election victory, though no firm plans have been made.
Beijing is reportedly keen to negotiate, hoping a summit might slow additional U.S. tariffs and technology restrictions. China's recent export data fell below expectations, and the country faces deflation. The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on Chinese imports to around 35%, citing China's role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis, WSJ reports.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44217379/china-hits-soybeans-with-tariffs-its-largest-us-import-along-with-other-agri-products-here-a-list-of-stocks-and-etfs-that-could-be-impacted">China Hits Its Largest US Import, Soybeans, With Tariffs Along With Other Agricultural Products: Here&#8217;s A List Of Stocks, ETFs That Could Be Impacted</a>
Why It Matters: Geo-political relations between the U.S. and China haven&#8217;t improved since Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
Former President Joe Biden met President Xi once in the days following Trump&#8217;s election victory—in <a href="https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-meeting-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-3/">Lima, Peru</a>. Before that, they convened in 2023 to discuss the global economy, supply chain disruptions, and rising protectionism as "grave problems."
"China and United States turning back on each other is not an option," Xi said <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/23/11/35814525/historic-biden-xi-jinping-meeting-paves-way-for-joint-efforts-in-ai-climate-change">at the time</a>.
But once Trump was sworn into office in January, imposing tariffs on all Chinese imports was a top priority. As recently as March 4, the Trump White House doubled the levy on Chinese imports to 20%. 
China clapped back with its own retaliatory tariffs, per the Associated Press, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-farm-soy-trump-7442b02ac829347f0d4fc6ad0955d368">last week</a>. 
At a news conference during China&#8217;s annual parliamentary session on Friday, March 7, China&#8217;s top foreign policy official, Wang Yi, positioned Beijing as a stabilizing global force while criticizing the U.S. as &#8220;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5320802/china-us-tariffs-gaza-ukraine-russia-trump">two-faced</a>.&#8221; 
Wang emphasized China&#8217;s role as a global &#8220;anchor&#8221; as opposed to the U.S.
The potential summit marks a critical moment in U.S.-China relations, as both sides navigate economic, technological, and strategic rivalries.
ETFs To Watch: Notable exchange-traded funds to watch include the iShares MSCI China ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCHI#NASDAQ">MCHI</a>), which allocates the biggest chunk of its holdings to Shenzhen, China-based Tencent Holdings Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>).
There&#8217;s also SPDR S&amp;P China ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GXC#NYSE">GXC</a>) and Invesco China Technology ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CQQQ#NYSE">CQQQ</a>), which are both particularly sensitive to geopolitical developments. 
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Image created using photos from Shutterstock.

Politics

CQQQ

MCHI

Trump, Xi Discuss Potential 'Birthday Summit' Amid Rising Trade Tensions: Report

President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;has strongly criticized the U.K. government&#8217;s demand for&nbsp;Apple Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) to&nbsp;create a backdoor&nbsp;into its encrypted cloud storage, comparing the move to authoritarian surveillance <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44069785/trump-blasts-uks-apple-encryption-order-warns-against-grave-privacy-violations-thats-something-you-hear-about-with-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">tactics used in China</a>.
First Lady&nbsp;Melania Trump&nbsp;used her first major public appearance to call for stronger protections against online abuse, advocating for legislation&nbsp;targeting deepfake&nbsp;and revenge pornography while criticizing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44100458/melania-trump-attacks-democrats-for-skipping-key-discussion-on-deepfakes-first-lady-wants-tougher-safeguards-for-children" rel="noreferrer noopener">Democrats for their absence at the discussion</a>.
Smartphones
Honor&nbsp;has ramped up its AI ambitions with a $10 billion investment over the next five years, alongside a deeper<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44068933/google-and-chinas-honor-deepen-ai-partnership-as-huawei-spin-off-takes-on-apple-and-samsung-with-10-billion-investment" rel="noreferrer noopener"> partnership with&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44068933/google-and-chinas-honor-deepen-ai-partnership-as-huawei-spin-off-takes-on-apple-and-samsung-with-10-billion-investment" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s&nbsp;Google</a>.
Technology
Major tech firms, including&nbsp;Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>),&nbsp;ByteDance-owned&nbsp;TikTok, and&nbsp;Snapchat, are urging Australia to reconsider the exemption of&nbsp;YouTube, an online video sharing platform owned by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google, from its&nbsp;ban on social media<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44132618/meta-tiktok-and-snapchat-push-back-against-youtubes-exemption-from-australias-social-media-ban-for-children-under-16" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> access&nbsp;for users under 16</a>.
Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) launched <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44143576/apples-latest-macbook-air-with-m4-chip-is-twice-as-fast-as-its-predecessor-with-lower-price" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its newest MacBook Air</a> with equipped with the advanced M4 chip for improved speed, longer battery life, and a 12MP camera. The base version costs as low as $999.
Google has begun disabling uBlock Origin and other extensions that rely on its outdated Manifest V2 framework, leaving millions of Chrome users scrambling for alternatives as the company fully transitions <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44135027/googles-chrome-changes-disable-ublock-origin-for-even-more-users-can-you-still-block-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to its new extension standard, </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44135027/googles-chrome-changes-disable-ublock-origin-for-even-more-users-can-you-still-block-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manifest V3</a>.
Ransomware operators have found a way to exploit a Windows-signed driver from&nbsp;Paragon Partition Manager, posing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44105518/microsoft-adds-paragon-partition-manager-driver-to-blocklist-as-ransomware-hackers-exploit-windows-signed-driver-for-attacks" rel="noreferrer noopener">threat to system security</a>.
Discord, the popular&nbsp;social chat app&nbsp;favored by gamers, is reportedly in early discussions with investment bankers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44157952/discord-reportedly-exploring-ipo-in-2025heres-what-we-know-about-the-gaming-chat-titans-plans" rel="noreferrer noopener">about a potential initial public offering in 2025.</a>
Former&nbsp;Intel Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) CEO&nbsp;Craig Barrett&nbsp;has strongly criticized calls to divide Intel&#8217;s business, arguing that the company should focus on its recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44070969/former-intel-ceo-craig-barrett-warns-that-splitting-the-company-would-be-a-costly-mistake-a-far-better-move-might-be-to-fire-the-intel-board-and-rehire-pat-gelsinger" rel="noreferrer noopener">chipmaking breakthroughs instead</a>.
Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44070785/top-analyst-shuts-down-nvidia-cowos-order-cut-rumors-confirms-tsmcs-2025-expansion-is-steady-at-70000-wafers-per-month" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ming-Chi Kuo Dismisses Nvidia Order Cut Speculation Amid Intact AI Demand, Confirms TSMC Expansion On Track</a>
Reddit Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDDT#NYSE">RDDT</a>) co-founder and venture capitalist&nbsp;Alexis Ohanian&nbsp;has joined&nbsp;Frank McCourt&#8217;s&nbsp;bid to acquire&nbsp;TikTok&#8217;s&nbsp;U.S. operations, as competition intensifies with rival groups that include&nbsp;YouTube&nbsp;star&nbsp;Jimmy Donalson, aka&nbsp;MrBeast, tech entrepreneur&nbsp;Jesse Tinsley, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44100560/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-joins-frank-mccourts-tiktok-bid-amid-competition-from-mrbeast-jesse-tinsley-and-reid-rasner" rel="noreferrer noopener">and&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44100560/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-joins-frank-mccourts-tiktok-bid-amid-competition-from-mrbeast-jesse-tinsley-and-reid-rasner" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wyoming</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44100560/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-joins-frank-mccourts-tiktok-bid-amid-competition-from-mrbeast-jesse-tinsley-and-reid-rasner" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;investor&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44100560/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-joins-frank-mccourts-tiktok-bid-amid-competition-from-mrbeast-jesse-tinsley-and-reid-rasner" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reid Rasner</a>.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Tencent Holdings&#8217; (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) Yuanbao AI&nbsp;chatbot has surpassed&nbsp;DeepSeek&nbsp;as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44101621/deepseek-loses-top-spot-as-tencents-yuanbao-ai-becomes-no-1-iphone-app-amid-intensifying-ai-battle" rel="noreferrer noopener">most downloaded&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44101621/deepseek-loses-top-spot-as-tencents-yuanbao-ai-becomes-no-1-iphone-app-amid-intensifying-ai-battle" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44101621/deepseek-loses-top-spot-as-tencents-yuanbao-ai-becomes-no-1-iphone-app-amid-intensifying-ai-battle" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;app in China</a>.
Chinese AI startup&nbsp;DeepSeek&nbsp;revealed cost and revenue estimates for its popular&nbsp;V3&nbsp;and&nbsp;R1&nbsp;models, showing a theoretical cost-profit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44069178/chinas-deepseek-report-545-theoretical-daily-profit-margin-once-again-raising-questions-about-openai-and-other-us-ai-firms-billion-dollar-chip-investments" rel="noreferrer noopener">ratio of up to 545% per day</a>.
Anthropic&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Dario Amodei&nbsp;has called for stronger U.S. AI safeguards, warning that autocratic regimes like China and Russia could use artificial intelligence to enhance their<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44069535/jeff-bezos-backed-anthropic-pushes-for-stronger-us-ai-safeguards-saying-autocracies-like-china-russia-could-use-ai-to-expand-their-power-some-very-dark-possbilities" rel="noreferrer noopener"> control and military capabilities</a>.
Anthropic and&nbsp;Google has raised $3.5 billion in a Series E funding round,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44099466/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-nosedive-as-trumps-tariff-moves-wipe-out-crypto-reserve-fueled-gains-analyst-says-breaking-through-this-barrier-will-help-btc-touch-new-highs" rel="noreferrer noopener"> bringing its valuation to $61.5 billion</a>.

AAPL

GOOG

RDDT

Consumer Tech News (Mar 3-Mar 7): Discord May Initiate IPO, Apple's New MacBook Air With M4 Chip, Tencent' Yuanbao AI Surpassed DeepSeek As Most Downloaded & More

Hong Kong stocks surged Thursday morning, with the Hang Seng Index climbing 2.5% to 24,183.07, reaching its highest level since January 2022 and extending its year-to-date gains to 23.37%.
What Happened: Chinese tech giants led the rally on Hong Kong Exchange, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABAF#OTC">BABAF</a>) rallying 7.24% to 139.30 HKD ($17.93) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) jumping 5.84% to 534.00 HKD ($68.72). 
Other major tech firms also posted substantial gains, including Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) up 3.83% to 90.80 HKD ($11.68), JD.com Inc (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JDCMF#OTC">JDCMF</a>) rising 4.06% to 171.20 HKD ($22.03), and Meituan (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MPNGY#OTC">MPNGY</a>) advancing 4.08% at 179.50 HKD ($23.10).
The market rally follows Premier Li Qiang&#8216;s announcement of increased fiscal stimulus during China&#8217;s annual parliamentary meeting on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Li pledged to &#8220;vigorously boost&#8221; sluggish consumption and cushion impacts from escalating U.S. trade tensions, while maintaining China&#8217;s 5% growth target for 2025.
&#8220;An increasingly complex and severe external environment may exert a greater impact on China in areas such as trade, science, and technology,&#8221; Li warned, addressing what he called &#8220;changes unseen in a century.&#8221;
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/03/44068159/nba-legend-shaq-says-his-net-worth-quadrupled-once-he-took-note-from-jeff-bezos-and-started-investing-in-things-that-change-peoples-lives" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA Legend Shaq Says His Net Worth ‘Quadrupled&#8217; Once He Took Note From Jeff Bezos And Started Investing In Things That ‘Change People&#8217;s Lives&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Beijing plans to issue 1.3 trillion yuan ($179 billion) in ultra-long special treasury bonds this year, up from 1 trillion yuan in 2024, and will allow local governments to issue 4.4 trillion yuan in special debt. The budget deficit is projected to widen to around 4% of GDP.
Investors seem particularly enthused by China&#8217;s AI ambitions, with Li promising to foster artificial intelligence applications across electric vehicles, smartphones, and robots. Market sentiment has been bolstered by the recent emergence of AI platform Deepseek, with Alibaba also announcing its new QwQ-32B reasoning model today.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Today, we release QwQ-32B, our new reasoning model with only 32 billion parameters that rivals cutting-edge reasoning model, e.g., DeepSeek-R1. Blog: <a href="https://t.co/zCgACNdodj">https://t.co/zCgACNdodj</a> HF: <a href="https://t.co/pfjZygOiyQ">https://t.co/pfjZygOiyQ</a> ModelScope: <a href="https://t.co/hcfOD8wSLa">https://t.co/hcfOD8wSLa</a> Demo: <a href="https://t.co/DxWPzAg6g8">https://t.co/DxWPzAg6g8</a> Qwen Chat:… <a href="https://t.co/kfvbNgNucW">pic.twitter.com/kfvbNgNucW</a>
&mdash; Qwen (@Alibaba_Qwen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alibaba_Qwen/status/1897361654763151544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

JDCMF

Alibaba Soars 7% On AI Push As China Pledges To 'Vigorously Boost' Spending — Hang Seng Reaches 2-Year High

Tencent Holdings' (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) Yuanbao AI chatbot has surpassed DeepSeek as the most downloaded iPhone app in China.
What Happened: Tencent integrated its in-house Hunyuan AI technology with DeepSeek's R1 reasoning model, boosting the chatbot's appeal and helping it claim the No. 1 spot on China's iPhone app rankings this week, according <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-04/tencent-s-ai-bot-passes-deepseek-as-china-s-favorite-on-iphones">to</a> a report by Bloomberg.
DeepSeek had dominated downloads for over a month. Three of the top five free apps in China are now AI-powered chatbots, with ByteDance's Doubao also ranking among them.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44070969/former-intel-ceo-craig-barrett-warns-that-splitting-the-company-would-be-a-costly-mistake-a-far-better-move-might-be-to-fire-the-intel-board-and-rehire-pat-gelsinger">&#8216;Fire The Intel Board,&#8217; Says Former CEO Craig Barrett As He Pushes Back On Breakup Plans, Urges Focus On Chipmaking Wins</a>
In January, DeepSeek shook the U.S. stock market. Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) lost <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/25/01/43260751/not-just-deepseek-alibaba-unveils-ai-model-to-rival-openais-operator">$600 billion in value</a> in a single day.
According to the Chinese startup, its chatbot can compete with OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT, which it developed at a fraction of the cost.
In <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43970279/alibaba-and-deepseek-intensify-ai-showdown-challenging-openai-and-nvidias-market-dominance">response to DeepSeek's rise</a>, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) has begun benchmarking against it and announced a $53 billion AI investment.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It&#8217;s Important: China's leading tech giants—Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>)—are in a fierce race to capture the growing AI market.&nbsp;
While monetization strategies remain unclear, companies are focused on mass adoption and open-source AI development.
With its 1.4 billion WeChat users, Tencent has an advantage in distributing AI-powered services, but Alibaba and Baidu are making larger AI investments.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has spoken about the need for significantly more <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43995515/jensen-huang-says-deepseek-was-fantastic-next-gen-models-demand-100x-more-compute-as-nvidia-smashes-earnings-records">computational power</a> for next-generation AI models.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

DeepSeek Loses Top Spot As Tencent's Yuanbao AI Becomes The Top iPhone App In China Amid Intensifying AI Battle

On Tuesday, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/alibaba" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese e-commerce firm</a>&nbsp;Alibaba Group Holding&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) showcased its next reasoning model, QwQ-Max. This model could rival industry-leading competitors, including OpenAI&#8217;s o1 and&nbsp;DeepSeek&#8217;s R1.
The Qwen team said that QwQ-Max-Preview is free on the Qwen chatbot website, SCMP <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3300018/alibaba-previews-new-ai-reasoning-model-challenge-deepseek-r1-openai-o1" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43884588/alibaba-leads-china-stock-rally-as-deepseeks-ai-breakthrough-and-xis-support-boost-investor-confidence" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Listed China Stocks Rally: Alibaba&#8217;s Performance, President Xi&#8217;s Support, DeepSeek AI Boost Investor Confidence</a>
The company&#8217;s release of QwQ-Max-Preview coincided with&nbsp;the DeepSeek campaign to make five of its code repositories public.
Qwen&#8217;s latest reasoning model is part of an AI system replicating how humans think, make decisions, and solve problems. The Qwen team said it would open-source its coming QwQ-Max model and the base version of Qwen 2.5 Max.
On Monday, Alibaba <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43906541/alibaba-to-invest-a-massive-53-billion-in-ai-infrastructure-taking-on-trumps-stargate-ai-plan" rel="noreferrer noopener">committed&nbsp;$53 billion</a> to cloud and AI infrastructure&nbsp;over the next three years.
Alibaba plans to release smaller open-source reasoning models as demand rises for lightweight and resource-efficient solutions.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43931074/chinese-tech-giants-like-tencent-alibaba-and-bytedance-rush-to-buy-nvidias-h20-ai-chips-as-deepseeks-low-cost-models-fuel-massive-demand-surge" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese tech giants</a>&nbsp;Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>),&nbsp;Alibaba, and&nbsp;ByteDance have increased orders for&nbsp;Nvidia Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)&nbsp;H20&nbsp;AI chips.
Benchmark&#8217;s Fawne Jiang raised his price target on Alibaba, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/02/43888574/alibabas-ai-expansion-e-commerce-growth-reinforce-bullish-analyst-outlook" rel="noreferrer noopener">citing AI growth</a> and e-commerce rebound.
Price Action:&nbsp;BABA stock is up 4.45% at $134.76 premarket at&nbsp;the last check on Tuesday.
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Alibaba Doubles Down On AI, Launches QwQ-Max to Challenge OpenAI and DeepSeek

In a move to further tighten the noose on China&#8217;s burgeoning tech sector, President Donald Trump is reportedly considering stricter measures on the country&#8217;s semiconductor industry. This move is seen as an extension of efforts initiated under the Joe Biden administration to curb China&#8217;s technological advancement.
What Happened: Trump officials have been in talks with their Japanese and Dutch counterparts to limit the activities of engineers from Tokyo Electron Ltd. and ASML Holding NV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASML#NASDAQ">ASML</a>) in China, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-25/trump-administration-seeks-more-restrictions-on-china-tech-weighs-nvidia-curbs">reported</a> on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The aim is to get allies on board with the U.S. in imposing similar restrictions on China that have been placed on American semiconductor companies, including Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>), KLA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>), and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>).
The Trump administration is also exploring stricter controls on the global export of AI chips without a license. Washington&#8217;s broader objective is to hinder China&#8217;s advancement in building a domestic semiconductor industry that could enhance its AI and military capabilities.
According to the publication, implementation of these new regulations may take several months as the Trump administration selects staff for key federal agencies.
The White House did not immediately respond to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga&#8217;s</a> request for comment.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43937601/bitcoin-down-7-ethereum-xrp-dogecoin-shiba-inu-plunge-over-10-as-148-billion-liquidation-tsunami-hits">Bitcoin Down 7%, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Plunge Over 10% As $1.48 Billion Liquidation Tsunami Hits</a>
Why It Matters: In response to these reports, Lin Jian, from the Chinese foreign ministry, stated that such actions will obstruct the growth of the global semiconductor industry and also backfire, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, it also remains to be seen if Japan and the Netherlands echo the same thoughts as Trump.
This development comes on the heels of President Trump&#8217;s recent announcement of his intention to impose a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43805852/trump-shakes-global-trade-with-25-auto-chip-and-pharma-tariffs-announcement-asian-stocks-pare-their-five-day-rally">25% tariff on auto imports,</a> chips, and pharmaceuticals. These tariffs, expected to take effect as early as April 2, have already caused a stir in international trade. The latest move to tighten restrictions on China&#8217;s tech sector is seen as a continuation of Trump&#8217;s aggressive trade policies, and could potentially escalate trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
Another report by the South China Morning Post suggests that Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>), Alibaba (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) and ByteDance have significantly increased demand for Nvidia's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) H20 AI chip, driven by the surging popularity of DeepSeek's affordable AI models. This development also comes ahead of the tariffs and chip curbs likely to be imposed by the Trump administration.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

AMAT

ASML

KLAC

LRCX

Trump Reportedly Targets China's Tech Sector With Stricter Biden-Era Chip Curbs. It Will Backfire, Says Beijing

Chinese tech giants Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>), Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), and ByteDance have significantly increased orders for Nvidia Corporation's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) H20 AI chips, as the rise of DeepSeek's low-cost AI models drives a surge in demand for AI computing power.
What Happened: The spike in H20 chip orders, reported by Reuters, citing six people familiar with the matter, highlights Nvidia's continued dominance in the AI chip market.
The H20 is a China-specific chip, developed in response to U.S. export restrictions that prevent Nvidia from selling its most advanced AI hardware to Chinese companies.
While concerns about additional U.S. trade restrictions exist, sources say the primary driver behind the demand is DeepSeek's AI models, which optimize computational efficiency for inference tasks rather than relying solely on raw processing power.
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These models have gained rapid adoption across industries, from cloud computing to automotive applications.
Tencent is reportedly testing DeepSeek's AI models in WeChat, while automaker Great Wall has integrated them into its connected vehicle systems. Analysts estimate Nvidia shipped around 1 million H20 chips in 2024, generating over $12 billion in revenue.
Why It Matters: Last month, Nvidia recognized China's DeepSeek R1 AI model. The model built for less than $6 million, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43256425/nvidia-says-deepseek-an-illustration-of-how-new-ai-models-can-be-created-while-being-export-control-compliant-amid-600-billion-market-value-plunge">allegedly outperformed</a> top U.S. models, including those from OpenAI.
This milestone contributed to a broader tech market downturn, leading to a 17% decline in Nvidia's stock and a more than 20% plunge in AI infrastructure shares. It also led to a $600 billion drop in Nvidia's market capitalization.
Earlier this month, in an interview, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addressed <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43876025/nvidia-ceo-attributed-the-deepseek-led-sell-off-to-investor-misconception-on-ai-spending-obviously-that-paradigm-is-wrong">investor concerns</a>, attributing the sell-off to misconceptions about AI infrastructure spending.
Price Action: In after-hours trading, Nvidia rose 0.51%, reaching $130.95 at the time of publication, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image via Shutterstock
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Nvidia Sees Rush For H20 AI Chip Orders As DeepSeek Disrupts AI Market— Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance Fuel Demand Surge

Chinese technology stocks advanced sharply on Friday, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABAF#OTC">BABAF</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) jumping 11.41% in Hong Kong trading, as investors responded to positive earnings guidance and anticipated monetary policy easing from Beijing.
What Happened: Alibaba&#8217;s shares climbed to 134.70 HKD ($17.33) after CEO Eddie Wu announced expectations for the company&#8217;s International Commerce Unit to achieve profitability in the next fiscal year. 
The broader tech sector rally saw gains across major Chinese companies, with&nbsp;Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) rising 3.23% to 502.50 HKD ($64.66), Xiaomi Corp. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>) surging 4.88% to 51.55 HKD ($6.63), Baidu Inc (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAIDF#OTC">BAIDF</a>) adding 2.22% to 87.40 HKD ($11.25), and JD.com Inc. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JDCMF#OTC">JDCMF</a>) climbing 2.47% to 157.50 HKD ($20.27).
The surge comes as economists predict China&#8217;s central bank could cut its main policy rate following the annual parliamentary meeting in March. The People&#8217;s Bank of China (PBOC) maintained its loan prime rates Thursday, keeping the one-year rate at 3.1% and the five-year rate at 3.6%.
Bruce Pang, an adjunct associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School, according <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/20/china-lpr-decision-february.html">to</a> CNBC, forecasts a 50-basis-point cut to the reserve requirement ratio next month, with the seven-day reverse repo rate potentially decreasing by 40 to 50 basis points this year.
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Why It Matters: The tech sector&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/02/43772586/xi-jinpings-supportive-business-stance-sparks-rally-for-second-day-alibaba-xiaomi-surge-over-4-on-hong-kong-exchange">momentum builds on recent optimism</a> following Chinese President Xi Jinping&#8216;s supportive stance toward private enterprise, demonstrated at a high-level business symposium that included prominent tech leaders. The gathering notably featured Alibaba founder Jack Ma&#8216;s first major public appearance with top leadership since Beijing&#8217;s 2020 regulatory crackdown.
However, investors are watching U.S.-China tensions, as recent tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump&#8216;s administration and the Federal Reserve&#8217;s cautious approach to rate cuts could influence PBOC&#8217;s monetary policy decisions. 
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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