Chinese internet giant Tencent – the foundation on which Naspers/Prosus shares are valued – has enjoyed its best month in ages, gaining 35% in November so far. Punters have climbed into the stock on the “too cheap” mantra after Tencent’s price fell by almost 60% this year. Where Tencent goes, Naspers/Prosus follow. The pain, and recent glory, has been shared.
Tencent bulls have been quoting Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s conciliatory approach towards US president Joe Biden, which suggests the recently feared Taiwan invasion has returned to the back burner. Also, that the all-powerful leader has at last been throttling back on the country’s intense Covid restrictions, promising full reopening of the economy.
It’s worth remembering, however, that there is zero change to Xi’s anti-business “common prosperity” agenda. Or that Beijing’s moralistic approach to video gaming (Tencent’s profit staple) has also not been moderated. So there’s little hope of an early reverse in the sharp contraction on Tencent’s sales of domestic games.
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The graph above which compares share prices of Prosus and Tencent, shows the SA-related company has outperformed its Chinese ballast of late, and may have overreached in the short-term. Plus Prosus’s asset remains tied to the high risk VIE structure which introduces significant ownership risk. China has never been an easy place to make money. Be warned.
More for you to read today:
- BizNews Share Portfolio November update: Tech capitulation must be nigh. The share portfolio’s recent move to local equities has proven to be a good one, supported by impressive compound annual growth rates in November.
- How world sees SA – Eskom out of money for back-up power. State electricity monopoly Eskom has said that it has run out of money to buy diesel for critical back-up power plants.
- Ramaphosa likely to retain ANC presidency barring Phala Phala skeletons. Ramaphosa looks set to remain at the helm of the ANC in December, following the official announcement of consolidated nominations for the top six positions.
- Michael Jordaan’s cautious advice about crypto. South Africans should seek to improve their financial standing by using affordable digital banking services rather than speculating in cryptocurrency.
