Best China Stocks To Watch For 2014

Faster inflation will prompt Brazil to be the first emerging market to raise interest rates before the end of this year and lead China to also tighten monetary policy, according to Charles Schwab Corp.�� Michelle Gibley.

��nflation is stubbornly high in some of the larger countries, Brazil in particular,��Gibley, director of international research at San Francisco-based Charles Schwab (SCHW), which has $2.04 trillion in assets, said in a phone interview. ��here�� potential they could be the first to start tightening. In China, we��e also seeing the central bank somewhat concerned about inflation. The next move is probably more likely to be tightening than an easing move.��

Brazilian inflation accelerated to 6.31 percent in February, putting the annual rate above the midpoint of the central bank�� target for a 30th month. Quickening inflation may spur the central bank to raise the 7.25 percent Selic rate as early as this year, Gibley said. Policy makers said last week that price increases could breach the 6.5 percent upper limit of the bank�� target range for the first time in a decade.

Best Japanese Companies To Invest In 2015: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  AP Photo/Burger King Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a Japanese gaming pioneer finally cutting prices on its poor selling devices to a burger chain introducing a burger for a buck, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world. Walmart (WMT) -- Winner The country's biggest retailer was singled out in this column last week for the way that it's bringing back its layaway plan for the holiday shopping season. And this week it earns another shout out. In a memo to its associates this week, Walmart revealed that its health insurance policies for 2014 will cover "any spouse or domestic partner" regardless of gender. Walmart knows that this is still a polarizing topic. However, by opening up health coverage to domestic partners -- gay or straight -- Walmart is likely to score points with many who have been critical of the company's practices in the past. Sure, we can lament that just half of Walmart's 1.3 million associates have elected health coverage through the company. No one's saying the giant discounter is perfect. However, this move will help improve its image with a lot of its detractors. Burger King (BKW) -- Loser Burger chains are bucking the trend these days, beefing up their dollar menus at a time when the economy is showing signs of life. There's a reason for that. Customers are moving up to higher quality "fast casual" establishments that offer better food at slightly higher price points with the convenience of counter service. Burger King's latest push was announced this week. It will add a French fry-topped hamburger -- for a buck -- to its menu in September. There's nothing inherently wrong with the new sandwich. Who hasn't placed fries inside their burger from time to time? However, this seems like a bad play for franchisees: They may see fry sales slip at the hands of penny-pinching diners believing that they can knock of

• [By Gary Bourgeault]

  Other companies of note that will be hurt will be LDK Solar (LDK), Suntech Power (STP), JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASO) and Renesola (SOL) among others. Some these are already hanging on by a thread because of taking on too much debt and defaulting on bonds.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Next Tuesday, LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) will release its latest quarterly results. Lately, investors have had to wonder whether the Chinese solar company will be able to continue operating, as LDK is one of many solar companies in the emerging-market nation going through a cash crunch due to large losses.

• [By Wall Street Sector Selector]

  Previous to last week's solar flare, the sector has suffered through some awful growing pains. The financial crisis resulted in reduced subsidies for development in the rapidly-advancing photovoltaic power industry. Meanwhile, China increased government financing of its solar industry, having already established a strong presence in the sector with such companies as Suntech Power (STP) and LDK Solar (LDK).

Best China Stocks To Watch For 2014: Bitauto Holdings Limited (BITA)

Bitauto Holdings Limited provides Internet content and marketing services for the automotive industry primarily in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers subscription services to new automobile dealers that enable them to list pricing and promotional information on its bitauto.com Website and partner Websites, and to interact with consumers through its virtual call center, as well as provides advertising service to dealers and automakers on its bitauto.com Website. It also offers listing services to used automobile dealers, which enable them to display used automobile inventory information through its ucar.cn Website and partner Websites; and advertising services to used automobile dealers and automakers with certified pre-owned automobile programs on its ucar.cn Website. In addition, the company provides digital marketing solutions, including Website creation and maintenance, online public relationship, online marketing campaigns, and advertising agent service s. Bitauto Holdings Limited was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3��old, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��eutral�� A Hold rating indicates that the stock, over the next 1 to 3 months, will perform at an annualized rate of 10.56%, very similar to the S&P 500. For investors looking for a better Zacks Rank, Bitauto Holdings Limited (BITA), E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. (DANG) and Vipshop Holdings Limited (VIPS) could be better options.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Bitauto (NYSE: BITA  ) have plunged today by as much as 18% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the first quarter added up to $38.6 million, which translated into non-GAAP profits of $3.7 million. The top and bottom lines were up 34.6% and 29.1% relative to a year ago, but investors were still left wanting more. The results were in line with Bitauto's guidance.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Tech sector was the leading decliner in the US market today. Among the sector stocks, Bitauto Holdings (NYSE: BITA) was down more than 8.6 percent, while Ku6 Media Co (NASDAQ: KUTV) tumbled around 8.4 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Technology stocks gained Tuesday, with Ku6 Media Co (NASDAQ: KUTV) leading advancers. Among leading tech stocks, gains came from Rubicon Technology (NASDAQ: RBCN), Bitauto Holdings (NYSE: BITA) and Sify Technologies (NASDAQ: SIFY). Utilities shares dropped by 0.11 percent in the US market today.

Best China Stocks To Watch For 2014: Baidu Inc.(BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. provides Chinese and Japanese language Internet search services. Its search services enable users to find relevant information online, including Web pages, news, images, multimedia files, and blogs through the links provided on its Websites. The company also offers online community-based products and entertainment platforms; an instant messaging service; and a consumer-oriented e-commerce platform. In addition, it designs and delivers online marketing services and auction-based P4P services that enable its customers to reach users who search for information related to their products or services. The company serves online marketing customers consisting of small and medium sized enterprises, large domestic corporations, and Chinese divisions or subsidiaries of multinational corporations primarily operating in the medical, machinery, education, franchising, electronic products, e-commerce, ticketing, tourism, information technology, consumer products, real estate, entertainment, and financial services industries. It sells its online marketing services directly, as well as through its distribution network. The company was formerly known as Baidu.com, Inc. and changed its name to Baidu, Inc. in December 2008. Baidu, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) busted through with a 15% pop on the week, fueled by its proposed $1.9 billion deal for China's leading mobile apps marketplace operator. Through its two leading exchanges, 91 Wireless has dished out 10 billion downloads for smartphones and tablets.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  It's been a rough 12 months for Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) investors, and the same can be said about CEO Robin Li's reputation.

  Forbes is out with its annual list of China's top CEOs. Li topped the list last year. This time around he is falling all the way to 40.

Best China Stocks To Watch For 2014: Changyou.com Limited(CYOU)

Changyou.com Limited develops and operates online games in the People?s Republic of China. It involves in the development, operation, and licensing of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs), which are interactive online games that might be played simultaneously by various game players. The company operates seven MMORPGs that include its in house developed Tian Long Ba Bu; and licensed Blade Online, Blade Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu, Zhong Hua Ying Xiong, Immortal Faith, and San Jie Qi Yuan. As of December 31, 2010, Changyou?s games in China had approximately 111.4 million aggregate registered accounts; 1.0 million aggregate peak concurrent users; and 2.7 million aggregate active paying accounts. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. Changyou.com Limited is a subsidiary of Sohu.com Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  In the video game industry no one is playing games. Users are seeking entertainment on all kinds of devices, and companies strive hard to stand out and profit in this shifting field. Competition might be stiff, but it�� a highly profitable business for those that make it to the next level. Electronic Arts (EA), Changyou.com (CYOU) and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) are three game developers with different, but interesting, prospects ahead. Let�� take a closer look at them and see if you��e up for play:

Best China Stocks To Watch For 2014: Sina Corporation(SINA)

SINA Corporation provides online media and mobile value-added services (MVAS) in the People?s Republic of China. It provides advertising, non-advertising, and free services through SINA.com, Weibo.com, and SINA Mobile. SINA.com offers free interest-based channels that provide region-focused format and content, including news, sports, automobile-related news, finance, entertainment, luxury, technology, digital, tools, collectibles, video, music, and wireless application protocol, as well as interactive platform for fashion-conscious users to share comments and ideas on a range of topics, such as health, cosmetics, and beauty. The company's microblogging platform, Weibo.com, enables its users to follow the hottest topics being discussed online, as well as discussions related to people they know. Weibo accounts consist of celebrities, commercial enterprises, government entities, and grass root Internet users. Its SINA Mobile service allows users to receive news and informatio n, download ring tones, mobile games and pictures, and participate in dating and friendship communities. The company also offers SINA Game, which serves as an interactive platform that provides users with downloads and gateway access to popular online games; SINA eReading, a shop for book reviews; SINA.net, an enterprise solutions platform to assist businesses and government bodies; and SINA Mall, an online shopping Website. In addition, it provides a platform for Chinese bloggers; photo-sharing platform; free email, VIP mail, and corporate email for enterprise users; audio and video-based instant messaging tools; proprietary search technology; and classified advertising services, as well as hosts topic-specific discussion forums in Chinese language; and creates user-maintained and supported online communities. The company has strategic cooperation agreement with China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited. SINA Corporation was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the Peop le?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  The market exchanges are out with their latest tallies on short sales, and the number of bearish wagers as of mid-April have been falling sharply for many of the country's bellwethers.

  There were just 2.2 million shares of Dangdang (NYSE: DANG  ) sold short. That's a 52-week low for the Chinese e-tailer, and well below the 9.6 million shares that were sold short in May of last year. SINA (NASDAQ: SINA  ) also clocked in with a new low. There were just 1.8 million shares in bearish wagers against the online portal behind the Twitter-like SINA Weibo platform. There were 9 million shares sold short 10 months ago. Renren (NYSE: RENN  ) came in at 3.8 million shares sold short, near its low of 3.1 million just two weeks earlier. There were 24.9 million shares of Renren borrowed by skeptics of the leading social networking website operator in May of last year.

  The exodus isn't universal. Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU  ) �had 11.2 million shorted shares as of mid-April. The leading video streaming website hasn't had this many naysayers since late last year.

• [By Kevin Chen]

  Even when foreign companies like Yahoo!�have been forthcoming in self-censoring themselves, Beijing seems to put up obstacles to favor its domestic companies like SINA� (NASDAQ: SINA  ) , which ultimate profit.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Sina is an online media company that aims to serve Chinese consumers in and outside of China. The stock is now resting after seeing large declines in the last few years. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue numbers have improved, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, Sina has been a poor relative performer, year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE what Sina does in coming quarters.

• [By Jim Jubak]

  That has led to announcements of upcoming offerings from other Chinese Internet companies. For example, Sina (SINA) has said its Weibo social media network subsidiary, has filed to list in New York. The initial $700 million figure for the IPO would value Weibo at $7 billion to $8 billion.