Articles by Julie Zhu and Sijia Jiang

China’s Baidu Selling Majority Stake in Fintechs; May Enter Insurance

China’s Baidu Inc. said it will sell a majority stake in its financial services business for about $1.9 billion to a consortium led by TPG Capital Management LP and Carlyle Group LP, as it looks to deepen its push into …

Explaining Ant Financial’s $150B Valuation – and Investor Enthusiasm for China Tech

Ant Financial’s rapid climb to become the world’s biggest super unicorn valued by some investors at around $150 billion showcases investor enthusiasm for the biggest Chinese tech companies and also how quickly valuations can shift. Just two months ago, bankers …

China’s Ant Financial Targets at Least $8B in Investor Funding: Sources

China’s Ant Financial Services Group is in talks with investors to boost its fundraising target to at least $8 billion, which could see its valuation jumping to about $150 billion, people with knowledge of the plan said. Singapore state investor …

China’s 2nd Largest E-Commerce Firm, JD.com, Seeks to Expand in Insurance, Banking

JD.com Inc’s finance arm is looking to raise about 12 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) in fresh equity that could see its value double from last year to more than $20 billion, three people with knowledge of the matter said. The …

China’s Fosun to Continue ‘Genuine’ Overseas M&A

Fosun International, one of China’s most acquisitive conglomerates, brushed off the impact of a crackdown on overseas dealmaking and said it welcomed Beijing’s guidelines on offshore investment, as it posted a record jump in first-half profits. After several years of …

Demand for Cyber Insurance in China Expected to Rise After WannaCry Attack: AIG

Demand for cyber insurance from firms in Greater China and elsewhere in Asia is poised to soar, based on inquiries received after the “WannaCry ransomware” attack earlier this year, executives at American International Group Inc. said. The American insurer saw …

CEO & Co-Founder of China’s Fosun Resigns for Health Reasons

Fosun International Ltd , one of China’s most aggressively acquisitive conglomerates, said its chief executive and vice president stepped down in a surprise reshuffle that has raised concerns over the group’s strategy. The resignation of co-founder and Chief Executive Liang …

China’s Zhong An to Sell 5-10% Stake to Raise Funds Before Planned IPO

Zhong An Online Property & Casualty Insurance plans to sell 5-10 percent of the company to a couple of strategic investors, to raise up to 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion), ahead of a planned initial public offering in mainland China, …

Chinese Watchdog Weighs Relaxing Rules for Big Insurers’ Overseas M&A

China’s insurance regulator is considering an industry shake-up that could see the biggest and most solvent firms resuming an overseas expansion, while smaller, riskier insurers would come under tighter scrutiny. The plan being discussed would see the China Insurance Regulatory …

Strong US Dollar Is Biggest Risk Ahead for 2017: Allianz’ El-Erian

Global growth could be better than expected in 2017, though many uncertainties remain that could impact expansion, with the biggest of them being steep gains in the U.S. currency, Allianz’s Mohamed A. El-Erian said on Monday. The outlook for the …