1211.HK - BYD Company Limited

HKSE - HKSE Delayed Price. Currency in HKD
38.400
+0.050 (+0.13%)
At close: 4:08PM HKT
Stock chart is not supported by your current browser
Previous Close38.350
Open38.950
Bid38.350 x 0
Ask38.400 x 0
Day's Range38.000 - 38.950
52 Week Range36.200 - 60.900
Volume3,547,525
Avg. Volume4,882,020
Market Cap124.607B
Beta (3Y Monthly)1.31
PE Ratio (TTM)36.26
EPS (TTM)1.059
Earnings DateN/A
Forward Dividend & Yield0.23 (0.59%)
Ex-Dividend Date2019-06-11
1y Target Est57.32
  • Reuters

    China's auto industry discusses ways to boost rural car sales: sources

    BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - China's auto industry executives met with government officials over the weekend to discuss ways to promote higher car sales in rural areas, sources familiar with the matter said. The country's car manufacturers are grappling with the pressures of falling sales in the world's largest car market and are seeking new policies. A senior official at the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), Zeng Guang, confirmed to Reuters that the meeting had been organised in Beijing by the association's magazine Auto Review.

  • We Think BYD (HKG:1211) Is Taking Some Risk With Its Debt
    Simply Wall St.

    We Think BYD (HKG:1211) Is Taking Some Risk With Its Debt

    Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of...

  • BYD, Toyota to set up research venture to develop electric vehicles
    Reuters

    BYD, Toyota to set up research venture to develop electric vehicles

    TOKYO/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese electric car maker BYD Co Ltd and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday they planned to set up a joint venture to design and develop battery electric cars as they ramp up efforts to produce zero emissions vehicles. The two companies said in a statement that they would each invest 50% of the capital needed to establish the company, which will be set up next year and be based in China. Widely considered a late comer in embracing battery EVs, compared with rivals including Nissan , Toyota had flagged in June that it aimed to get half of its global sales from EVs, including gasoline hybrids, by 2025, five years ahead of schedule.

  • Reuters

    REFILE-UPDATE 1-BYD, Toyota to set up research venture to develop electric vehicles

    TOKYO/SHANGHAI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Chinese electric car maker BYD Co Ltd and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday they planned to set up a joint venture to design and develop battery electric cars as they ramp up efforts to produce zero emissions vehicles. The two companies said in a statement that they would each invest 50% of the capital needed to establish the company, which will be set up next year and be based in China. Widely considered a late comer in embracing battery EVs, compared with rivals including Nissan, Toyota had flagged in June that it aimed to get half of its global sales from EVs, including gasoline hybrids, by 2025, five years ahead of schedule.

  • Financial Times

    Number 214 to Highgate leads UK’s electric bus charge

    A ride on the number 214 bus between Shoreditch and Highgate provides a glimpse of public transport of the future. The unremarkable-looking single decker is one of more than 200 fully electric buses now running in the capital. It is the first stage of a “complete revolution” on Britain’s roads, according to Gareth Powell at Transport for London.

  • Buffett-backed BYD warns on 2019 profit as Chinese market contracts
    Reuters

    Buffett-backed BYD warns on 2019 profit as Chinese market contracts

    Chinese electric car maker BYD Co Ltd said on Tuesday it expected full-year net profit to fall by as much as 43%, as sales of new energy vehicles in the world's biggest auto market plunged following a cut in government subsidies. The Shenzhen-based company, which is backed by U.S. investor Warren Buffett and whose products include battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, posted net profit of 119.72 million yuan ($16.95 million) in the third quarter, down 88.6% from 1.05 billion yuan a year earlier. It said 2019 profit would be between 1.58 billion yuan and 1.77 billion yuan, down from 2.78 billion yuan a year earlier.

  • Oilprice.com

    The Billionaire Battle For EV Dominance

    Tesla and BYD are in a race to dominate the global EV market and, with Musk and Buffett backing their respective companies, this billionaire battle won’t slow down any time soon

  • Why You Should Like BYD Company Limited’s (HKG:1211) ROCE
    Simply Wall St.

    Why You Should Like BYD Company Limited’s (HKG:1211) ROCE

    Today we are going to look at BYD Company Limited (HKG:1211) to see whether it might be an attractive investment...

  • Can We See Significant Insider Ownership On The BYD Company Limited (HKG:1211) Share Register?
    Simply Wall St.

    Can We See Significant Insider Ownership On The BYD Company Limited (HKG:1211) Share Register?

    A look at the shareholders of BYD Company Limited (HKG:1211) can tell us which group is most powerful. Insiders often...

  • China’s Tesla Rival NIO Plunges 26% on Escalating Losses
    Bloomberg

    China’s Tesla Rival NIO Plunges 26% on Escalating Losses

    (Bloomberg) -- Shares of Chinese electric-vehicle makers and suppliers fell after a worse-than-expected quarterly loss for NIO Inc., the country’s answer to Tesla Inc., exacerbated concerns that a bubble in the world’s largest EV market may be bursting.BAIC Motor Corp., which BloombergNEF says brought in more than $4 billion in EV revenue last year, dropped 1% in Hong Kong, while BYD Co. closed down 4.1%, its biggest loss in over a month. Wuxi Lead Intelligent Equipment Co. retreated 4.5% in Shenzhen. NIO plunged 20% to a record low of $2.17 in New York on Tuesday after announcing its results and thousands of job cuts.The dire situation has prompted NIO, which is backed by technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., to raise $200 million from founder William Li and a Tencent affiliate, and to plan the spin off some businesses. The company’s U.S.-listed shares are down more than 80% from their peak following last year’s IPO.“People are wondering whether the company can continue to survive,” said Jason Chen, an analyst from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors. Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu struck a similar tone with a report titled “Tick Tock, Tick Tock,” estimating that NIO has only a few weeks of liquidity left.The issues specific to Shanghai-based NIO include cost overruns and major recalls.The company said Wednesday it has rescheduled its earnings conference call to 8 a.m. New York time after canceling the original one planned for Tuesday.More broadly, the automaker’s struggles lend credence to mounting concerns that China’s state-sponsored support of the industry inflated a bubble that’s poised to pop. The nation’s sales of EVs and “new-energy” vehicles fell for a second straight month in August as the government scaled back subsidies. China accounts for half of the world’s EV sales.“The latest industry sales and pricing data have not shown improvement, prompting us to fear the anticipated recovery in industry demand in September and 4Q may prove more modest than expected,” JPMorgan analysts Ryan Brinkman and Rebecca Wen wrote in a note, where they also withdrew their price target on NIO.NIO’s second-quarter net losses increased 83% from a year earlier to 3.29 billion yuan ($462 million), according to a statement. The deficit was worse than the 2.6 billion yuan average estimate of two analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, and it was the company’s second-largest based on available data dating back to 2017.NIO has accumulated about $6 billion in losses since it was founded by Li, who is also the chief executive officer, in 2014. Fire risks led to a mass callback of nearly 5,000 vehicles in June, a significant portion of the 17,550 units NIO had sold as of the end of May.Li said in the statement that a target has been set to reduce global headcount to 7,800 by the end of the third quarter, from more than 9,900 in January. There will be additional restructuring and some non-core businesses will be spun off by the end of the year, he said, without elaborating.A Tencent affiliate and Li agreed to buy $200 million of convertible notes through a private placement that’s expected to close before the end of the month, NIO has said. The company canceled its earnings conference call without explanation, a move Chen called “very strange.”Though revenue surged more than 3,000% from a year earlier, that was a time when the company was just getting started to sell cars. It fell 7.5% from the first quarter.NIO delivered 11% fewer vehicles compared with the first quarter, but it forecast the number will rebound to between 4,200 and 4,400 units in the third quarter. Third-quarter revenue will rise as much as 10% from the previous three months, the company said.NIO previously scrapped plans for a manufacturing plant in Shanghai after the government decided to provide support to Tesla, which aims to start production in China this year -- another challenge for Li’s company. Annual capacity at the Tesla facility could eventually top 1 million vehicles, chief executive Elon Musk has said.(Updates share-price moves.)\--With assistance from Courtney Dentch.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Chunying Zhang in Shanghai at czhang714@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, ;Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Will Davies, Kevin MillerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • After $5 Billion in Losses, China’s NIO Battles for Survival
    Bloomberg

    After $5 Billion in Losses, China’s NIO Battles for Survival

    (Bloomberg) -- Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it's going next.It took Tesla Inc. about 15 years to rack up $5 billion in losses. The company some regarded as China’s Tesla did it in four.And the bleeding continues. Shanghai-based NIO Inc. is poised to report Tuesday that it lost another 2.6 billion yuan ($369 million) — around $4 million a day — during the second quarter, according to the average of two analysts’ estimates. That would bring accumulated losses at the company, which is backed by technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., to about $5.7 billion since William Li founded the carmaker in 2014.Cost overruns, weak sales, and major recalls have led NIO to plunge about 74% since its market value hit a record $11.9 billion about a year ago. More broadly, the company’s reversal of fortune illustrates why concerns are mounting that China created an electric-vehicle bubble that may be about to burst.“This year and the next, there’s going to be a lot of card-shuffling for these EV startups,” said Siyi Mi, an analyst at BloombergNEF. “Before, venture capital chased after them, but it’s not the case any more.”NIO’s U.S.-listed shares fell as much as 4.6% to $2.90 shortly after the open of regular trading Monday in New York.Total EV sales in China, where half of the world’s electric cars are sold, fell for the first time in July after the government scaled back subsidies. Deliveries dropped again in in August, raising doubts that one of the final respites of strength in China’s auto market — which has fallen 14 out of the past 15 months — is wavering.China has gradually scaled back subsidies for new-energy vehicles — all-electrics, fuel-cell autos and plug-in hybrids — since 2017 to help the industry stand on its own two feet and avoid a bubble. That’s undermined growth, prompting the likes of top Chinese electric-carmaker BYD Co. to warn recently that earnings will wane.At NIO, pressure is building for the company to raise more funds. The carmaker is seeking to reduce its workforce by 14% to 7,500 by the end of the month. Incidents involving batteries catching fire or spewing smoke forced NIO to recall about 4,800 vehicles — more than 20% of all the cars it’s ever sold. Second-quarter deliveries dropped from the preceding three-month period.The company also scrapped plans for a manufacturing plant in Shanghai after the government opted to provide financial support to Tesla. Instead, NIO farms out production of its ES6 and ES8 cars to Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co.While Tencent and Li each plowed $100 million into NIO this month, the capital-intensive nature of the auto industry means that “this much money won’t last long,” said Bill Russo, founder and CEO at Automobility Ltd., a Shanghai-based auto advisory firm.Li has played down his company’s challenges, saying in an interview in June that NIO’s stock rout was “no big deal” and that investors needed to understand that making new cars costs money.But money is in short supply for the carmaker, which is now counting on receiving as much as 10 billion yuan in funding from an investment firm backed by the Beijing city government.Another looming challenge for NIO is Tesla, which plans to start production in China later this year, allowing the U.S. company to cut prices of its vehicles sold in the country.“NIO didn’t position itself in the right place,” said Yale Zhang, founder and CEO of the consultancy AutoForesight. “I’m not optimistic about its future in the long run.”(Updates with U.S. shares trading in fifth paragraph)To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Chunying Zhang in Shanghai at czhang714@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, ;Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Will DaviesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Grab Faces Off Against Tesla Taxis in a War of Cabs in Indonesia
    Bloomberg

    Grab Faces Off Against Tesla Taxis in a War of Cabs in Indonesia

    (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg on LINE messenger for all the business news and analysis you need.In 2015, the shares of Indonesia’s largest cab company were soaring, while its revenue reached a record high. Then came Uber, followed by Grab and Gojek, Southeast Asia’s answer to the revolutionary ride-hailing app.Competition from the technology titans wiped out $1.7 billion, or almost 80%, of PT Blue Bird’s market value from a peak. Revenue plunged 23% in three years and the latest quarterly earnings fell to a record low. But rather than give up, the 54-year-old cab operator is now seeking to turn the tide. Leading the effort is Noni Purnomo, who succeeded her father in May as president.Four months into her new job at the Jakarta-based company, Purnomo is banking on technology to transform the flagging business her late grandmother started in 1965. Her plans include focusing on electric vehicles made by Tesla Inc. and BYD Co. to cut fleet ownership costs and improve efficiency using data.“We decided to take a huge leap,” Purnomo, 47, said at her office in Jakarta last week. “With this leap, we hope we can address our shortcomings” and catch up with rivals.While sustainability is her immediate priority, Purnomo’s goal eventually is to beat the ride-hailing giants that have upended what was once an industry renowned for its steady revenue and dominated by small owners and families like Purnomo’s. She’s up against Singapore-based Grab, the regional giant that bought Uber Technologies Inc.’s Southeast Asian operations last year.Purnomo’s toughest challenge yet may be convincing investors that her company is here to stay and thrive. Blue Bird’s shares traded at 2,580 rupiah (18 cents) in Jakarta on Monday. They reached an all-time high of 12,500 rupiah in January 2015, months after Blue Bird raised a modest $200 million from an initial public offering.Purnomo has already added about two dozen EVs to Blue Bird’s almost 30,000-strong fleet of cabs that operate in the cities of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Lombok and Batam. Eventually, the plan is to have 2,000 of the zero-emission taxis from Tesla and Chinese maker BYD, she said.EVs may give her company an edge as initial data have shown encouraging signs, she said. The vehicles cost 40% less to operate than fossil fuel-powered cars, and generate 30% more revenue, according to her.Besides, her rivals can’t replicate this model easily, Purnomo said. Their asset-light model would require drivers to bear the financing costs of an expensive EV, a risky proposition for most individuals, she said. A representative for Grab didn’t respond to request for comments.“We have a different business model and the company can take the risk instead of the individual,” she said.Charging StationsThe lack of charging infrastructure in the Southeast Asian country could pose a hurdle. Right now, Blue Bird has facilities at its main office in Jakarta, while there’s one available at the city’s airport. President Joko Widodo‘s government is trying to ramp up charging stations in malls and other public places to help boost sales of EVs.Read about Indonesia’s plan to form electric-car hub Blue Bird will also invest in the internet of things -- an emerging technology that links machines and gadgets and likely to get a boost with the roll out of 5G wireless networks. IoT will help Blue Bird collect data and improve operational efficiency and help implement dynamic pricing, a variable fare model popular with the likes of Uber, Lyft Inc. and Grab.Purnomo said the company now has the technical capability to fight back and the financial resources to challenge them, without elaborating on how she plans to raise capital. On the other hand, Grab has money to burn. Valued at $14 billion, it is planning to raise more than $4.5 billion in its latest funding round.“Gojek and Grab’s low fares have caused a major churn for these taxi companies,” said Kenny Liew, an analyst at Fitch Solutions. “The taxi companies need to look at new business models, even partnerships with ride-hailing players, to stay relevant.”Rival TiesBlue Bird already has an alliance with Gojek, operated by PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, that allows its fleet to be available on the Gojek app. While it opens up the customer base, it also has the disadvantage of lower margins, Liew said. Gojek offers both motorcycle and cab rides.A representative for Gojek said the company has also started a pilot project for electric motorcycles and cars in Indonesia. If the vehicles can save costs, that will help drivers, she said in an email.Purnomo started working at Blue Bird in the mid-1990s. Groomed by her father for a key role in the family business, the engineering graduate held positions in maintenance, customer service and sales before taking a break to finish her master’s in business administration at the University of San Francisco.Competition brought about by ride-hailing companies in the traditional taxi business is “nearing equilibrium,” Purnomo said, adding some customers and even drivers who previously left Blue Bird to try rivals have returned.While investors have pummeled Blue Bird’s shares, analysts have been more optimistic. All six tracked by Bloomberg recommend buying it.“The worst appears to be behind them,” said Richard Suherman, an analyst at PT Sinarmas Sekuritas. “Their transformation, including their plan to build up a better technology platform and dynamic pricing, should help their competitiveness and profitability.”\--With assistance from Tassia Sipahutar.To contact the reporters on this story: Fathiya Dahrul in Jakarta at fdahrul@bloomberg.net;Harry Suhartono in Jakarta at hsuhartono@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sam Nagarajan at samnagarajan@bloomberg.net, ;Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, ;Thomas Kutty Abraham at tabraham4@bloomberg.net, Jodi SchneiderFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Despite New Developments, Nio Stock Makes TSLA Look Stable
    InvestorPlace

    Despite New Developments, Nio Stock Makes TSLA Look Stable

    Nio (NYSE:NIO) stock has seen a nice rebound since the start of September. The Nio stock price has bounced from a low of $2.58 on September 3 to $3.12 at the close September 16. With new financing in place, Nio could hang on as it pursues the path to profitability.Source: xiaorui / Shutterstock.com But is a turnaround realistic?Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) will soon open its Shanghai facility. The Chinese EV market is an opportunity, but Nio does not appear to have a clear-cut edge.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Tech Stocks You Should Avoid Now Will the company survive and thrive? The future has yet to be written. But given the valuation of Nio stock, investors should continue to practice caution. Recent Developments With Nio StockWhether you are a Nio stock bull or bear, you can't deny one thing: The company needs cash. Earlier this month, the company raised $200 million via a convertible debt offering. The buyers were Chinese conglomerate Tencent Holdings (OTCMKTS:TCEHY) and Nio's own CEO, William Li. The convertible notes come in two tranches. The first tranche matures within a year, and is convertible at $2.98 per share. The second tranche matures in three, and is convertible at $3.12/share. This successful financing helped to push up the Nio stock price. As I have discussed previously, financing is of big importance to Nio. The company not only loses money on an operating basis, but posts negative gross margins as well. The company is no stranger to convertible debt, raising $650 million last January using convertible notes. But while convertible debt is a cheap, it is dilutive. If NIO does manage to turn itself around, much of the upside will be soaked up by bondholders exercising their conversion rights.The other major morsel of news was the China-U.S. trade talks. The two countries plan to resume high-level trade talks in October. The trade war affects the company, but not in a direct way since its core market is domestic. China's economy continues to cool. The last thing it needs is a trade war that exacerbates these growth concerns. With a slowing economy, EV makers will have a tough time selling their vehicles. With the Chinese government cutting EV subsidies, demand will continue to slack for the company's E6 and E8 vehicles.This means NIO stock's bounce back may be a short lived. While the Nio stock price has fallen ~70% from all-time highs, shares remain overvalued. Competition Makes NIO's Valuation Mind-BogglingNio stock is overvalued. There's no two ways about it. With the company unprofitable, the only usable metric is the enterprise value/sales (EV/Sales) ratio. The stock currently trades at an EV/Sales ratio of 4.2. Compare this to Tesla, which trades at an EV/Sales of 2.2.Why pay a premium when you get get Chinese electric vehicle (EV) exposure with TSLA? Yes, Nio stock is more likely to see parabolic growth due to its size. Tesla is too big to see a 500% or 1000% return if all catalysts play out. But at least Tesla has positive gross margins. Nio continues to sell cars for less than their production cost. Its hard to see how that will play out favorably.Protectionist policies may favor NIO over foreign-owned EV brands like Tesla. But what's to say they have any particular edge over other Chinese companies? There are scores of other automakers making electric vehicles in China. Take a look at this chart of Chinese EV sales in May. The top dogs are BAIC, BYD (OTCMKTS:BYDDF), SAIC, JAC, and Chery. With the exception of BYD, all of these are state-owned enterprises. The state-owned Chinese automakers have the scale and resources to one day build EVs profitably. I could see Nio eventually getting absorbed by one of the state-owned Chinese automakers. Nio already builds its vehicles in a JAC-owned facility.High investor exceptions prop up the Nio stock price. But if more bad news comes out of the company, these speculators could make a run for the exits. Nio Stock Remains a Hard PassThere is too much risk and not enough opportunity with Nio stock. The company's losses require additional capital infusions. Until the next earnings release (on September 24), investors remain in the dark about the company's cash position. But despite these risks, shares remain overvalued. The Nio stock price continues to imply the automaker will be a major player. But there is little to suggest they have an edge against state-owned automakers, or foreign brands such as Tesla.The stock remains a hard pass. While it is possible shares could rally on better-than-expected performance, shares could easily nosedive if results are worse than projected. There is nothing wrong with paying a premium for a company going places. But NIO is not exactly setting the world on fire. * 7 Momentum Stocks to Buy On the Dip Consider opportunities elsewhere, and avoid Nio stock.As of this writing, Thomas Niel did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securitiesThe post Despite New Developments, Nio Stock Makes TSLA Look Stable appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • Is BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) CEO Paid At A Competitive Rate?
    Simply Wall St.

    Is BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) CEO Paid At A Competitive Rate?

    The CEO of BYD Company Limited (HKG:1211) is Chuan-Fu Wang. This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with...

  • China's Auto Stimulus Won't Delight Its Gridlocked Cities
    Bloomberg

    China's Auto Stimulus Won't Delight Its Gridlocked Cities

    (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Is China’s 14-month car crash at an end?After more than a year of declining sales, the country’s auto industry has relief in sight. Beijing’s ruling State Council told city governments to loosen or cancel restrictions on new car sales designed to limit congestion, as part of a package of measures announced Tuesday to get sputtering economic growth back on track.The news put some octane in the tank of mainland automakers. Shares in Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. and SAIC Motor Corp. surged. On the MSCI China Automobiles index, only BYD Co. and BAIC Motor Corp. failed to gain ground Tuesday. Both have invested heavily in electric vehicles favored by existing rules, so may lose out from a policy change.There’s just one problem with the euphoria: Ultimately, local governments will choose what to do, and their reasons for rationing private vehicle use haven’t changed.As we’ve written, the basic justification for China’s restrictions on car use are a matter of capacity. The country just doesn’t have sufficient road space to accommodate car ownership on the scale of the U.S., Japan and western Europe. That’s especially the case when you consider that the Tier One cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are already more densely populated than Tokyo (and far more so than cities in the U.S. and Europe). They’re also set to add millions of internal migrants over the coming decade.The restrictions – limiting sales to those who’ve received ownership licenses under a quota system, and banning driving on alternate days – are already widespread. Even Guiyang, the relatively sleepy capital of dirt-poor Guizhou province, operates a buyers’ quota. The State Council’s urging is having some effect. Guangzhou and Shenzhen have increased their quotas in recent months, according to Caixin Global. But the same is unlikely to happen in Beijing because congestion is too bad, Caixin reported, citing a source close to the city government.That gets to the heart of the problem. China’s cities aren’t controlling car use for the sake of it, but because they’re trying their best to deal with profound problems of congestion and pollution as populations and incomes rise.They also have to look after their investments. Chinese cities built 653 kilometers (406 miles) of new metro networks and 94 kilometers of new light rail in 2018 alone, equivalent to about twice the length of the New York subway. In total, 35 cities had a total of 5,761 kilometers of track between them at the end of last year, enough to stretch from Beijing to Moscow. Paying back all that spending will depend on keeping up ridership, so there’s no strong incentive for city governments to encourage travelers to switch to the roads.Indeed, looking at the rest of the State Council’s announcement you could be forgiven for thinking that the policy was drafted to encourage gentrifying inner-city hipsters rather than suburban drivers. The car recommendation forms just one of 20 proposals on the list. Far more prominent, in aggregate, are suggestions for building pedestrian areas, setting up night markets and urban festivals, building fitness centers and entertainment precincts in former factories, regenerating depressed districts, and offering credit and support for buying green appliances and electric or hybrid cars.Even the deepest declines come to an end eventually. It wouldn’t be surprising if China’s car sales do start to gradually recover toward the end of the year, not least because the year-earlier comparisons are more flattering now that they’re being set against the grim results from the second half of 2018, rather than the strong figures from 2017. Nonetheless, China’s auto industry is facing up to the demand peak that richer nations encountered a decade or more ago. This market isn’t about to hit a brick wall – but it’s running out of road.To contact the author of this story: David Fickling at dfickling@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • BYD's profit triples as China's electric car boom continues
    Reuters

    BYD's profit triples as China's electric car boom continues

    Chinese electric car maker BYD Co Ltd posted a 203.6% rise in first-half profit on Wednesday, as China's new energy vehicle market continues to surge. The Shenzhen-based company, which is backed by U.S. investor Warren Buffett and whose products include battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, posted net profit of 1.45 billion yuan ($205.29 million), up from 479.10 million yuan a year earlier. BYD, whose models include the Song series and the Qin plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, aims to move to completely electric-powered vehicles.

  • Should We Worry About BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) P/E Ratio?
    Simply Wall St.

    Should We Worry About BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) P/E Ratio?

    Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at BYD...

  • Should You Be Concerned About BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) ROE?
    Simply Wall St.

    Should You Be Concerned About BYD Company Limited's (HKG:1211) ROE?

    Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is...

  • InvestorPlace

    Don’t Bet on the Long Shot That Is Nio Stock Because It Won’t Pay Off

    Shares of Nio (NYSE:NIO) stock have been hit hard. The Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturer currently trades at $2.60/share, down from its IPO price of $6.26/share. The Nio stock price is down more than 80% from its all-time high of $13.80/share.Source: Nio With a weak local auto market, a trade war that prevents American expansion, and a slew of issues such as battery fires, is "China's Tesla" still a strong opportunity?I say "No." Despite high expectations the company will become the "Chinese Tesla," this has yet to be realized. The company continues to generate not only losses but negative gross margins. With a weak balance sheet, the company needs continued dilutive capital infusions.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe Chinese electric vehicle market is overly saturated. And with the relaxation of foreign-ownership laws, companies like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) are moving into the market as well. * 10 Stocks That Should Be Every Young Investor's First Choice Tie all of these together, and "China's Tesla" remains a long shot, with too many risks outweighing the upside. Investors have better opportunities elsewhere, and should avoid/sell their Nio shares. Nio's Local Market IssuesAccording to Reuters, Chinese car sales declined for the first time since the 1990s. April vehicle sales were down 14.6% year-over-year. Chinese electric vehicle sales have not declined, but sales growth has flattened. May 2019 EV sales were up only 1.8% YOY.To counter this slump, the Chinese government is increasing the number of car licenses. But despite this state support, the Chinese government has decided to phase out EV subsidies. The EV subsidy cut has materially impacted Nio's performance, with sales falling 50% from the previous quarter . Additional Risks Impact Nio StockThe U.S.-China trade war is another risk factor. The company expected to commence sales in America starting next year. But with all the uncertainty regarding trade, among other issues, Nio has shelved these plans.Nio continues to be reliant on third-party manufacturers. The company makes its cars at a state-owned JAC Motors facility. Nio essentially subsidizes the JAC plant's operations, with the company agreeing to compensate for losses until April 2021.Like other electric vehicle makers, battery fires have been an issue. On June 27, Quartz reported that 4,800 of Nio's flagship ES8 SUV were recalled due to battery fire issues. This was about 1/3rd of ES8s out on the road.Put all these risks together, and it is clear that the company is not ready for prime time. But despite these red flags, US investors continue to give the company an inflated valuation. Nio Stock ValuationDespite many risks, Nio stock continues to trade at a high valuation. A look at their most recent financials highlights a variety of red flags: * Vehicle sales down 54.6% YOY * Negative gross margin of 13.4% * Net loss of $395.2m ($0.38/shares) * Q2 2019 sales anticipated to decline an additional 20-30% from the first quarterTo keep the company operational, state-owned fund E-Town Capital has invested $1.45 billion into a joint venture (Nio China). This partnership will give the cash needed to operate/expand. E-Town capital will also help the company build a factory and/or find new manufacturing partners.While this arrangement keeps the company solvent, it highlights the risk of dilution. The Nio stock price could fall further if the capital infusions continue.The Nio stock price has been supported by the fact it is the only pure play Chinese EV maker trading on a major exchange. With competitors such as BYD (OTCMKTS:BYDDF) trading over-the-counter in the US, Nio is the more liquid Chinese EV play.But easy access doesn't make a good investment. The fundamentals of the company are weak. With heavy competition from more established car makers, Nio needs nothing short of a miracle to reverse their sales declines. Bottom Line on Nio Stock Of all the long-shot "story stocks" out there, Nio may be one of the least attractive opportunities. With a weak home market, wobbly balance sheet, and high expectations as "China's Tesla," the company has yet to produce results. With Tesla opening a facility in Shanghai, why invest in the "Tesla of China" when Tesla itself is in China?On the other hand, with heavy short interest, a squeeze is inevitable. But playing a short-squeeze can be like catching a falling knife. Timing the market is tough, as you can't predict the unpredictable.For the time being, NIO is a hard pass. Unless the company succeeds in gaining critical mass in its home market, I doubt it will become "China's Tesla".As of this writing, Thomas Niel did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Stocks That Should Be Every Young Investor's First Choice * 5 IPO Stocks to Buy -- According to Wall Street Analysts * The Top 10 Best Sectors in the Market for 2019 The post Don't Bet on the Long Shot That Is Nio Stock Because It Won't Pay Off appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • Bloomberg

    Europe Thinks Like China in Building Its Own Battery Industry

    The European Union is starting to act like China when it comes to building the batteries that will drive the next generation of cars and trucks.In the past few months, government officials led by European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic have joined with manufacturers, development banks and commercial lenders on measures that will channel more than 100 billion euros ($113 billion) into a supply chain for the lithium-ion packs that will power electric cars.Germany and France are prodding for action out of concern that China is racing ahead in new technologies sweeping the auto industry. With 13.8 million jobs representing 6.1% of employment linked to traditional auto manufacturing in the EU, authorities want to ensure that manufacturers can pivot toward supplying electric cars and batteries.“We are walking the talk,” Sefcovic said in remarks to Bloomberg. “We have overcome an initial resignation that this battle would be a lost one for Europe.”A number of trends are catalyzing the program, starting with the determination by EU nations to rein in greenhouse gases and fight climate change. They’re increasingly focused on reducing pollution from diesel engines and alarmed at the head start Chinese companies have in greener technologies. French President Emmanuel Macron in February said he “cannot be happy with a situation where 100% of the batteries of my electric vehicles are produced in Asia.”Drive Trains Go ElectricSo far, the EU’s program is starting to work and putting Europe on track to wrest market share away from China. By 2025, European companies that currently lack a single large battery maker will rival the U.S. in terms of capacity, according to forecasts from BloombergNEF. Measures that will spur investment include:France and Germany are working on measures to channel billions of euros into the battery industry. Sefcovic has said the EC may be able to embrace the state-aid proposal as a special project by the end of October. The two nations are seeking to draw in additional support from Spain, Sweden and Poland.The European Investment Bank gave preliminary approval in May to a 350 million-euro loan supporting NorthVolt AB’s bid to build a battery gigafactory in Sweden after the company completed a fund raising. The EIB along with the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development are working on a “raw materials investment facility” that will help to build a supply chain for rare Earth metals needed for batteries, according to Sefcovic who says he hopes the program will be launched by the end of the year. The EU in May started a 100 million-euro Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund with Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates and other investors to advance the energy transition, which is likely to include batteries. The EC has gathered at least 260 industrial companies including Peugeot SA, Total SA and Siemens AG in an alliance aimed at building capacity to make the energy storage devices in Europe.“A year or two ago, everyone was under the impression that it was already too late for Europe,” said James Frith, an energy storage analyst at BloombergNEF in London. “But they’ve made a commitment, and Europe is in a strong position now.”By 2025, Europe may control 11% of global battery cell manufacturing capacity, up from 4% now, according to Frith. That will pare back China’s market share and rival the U.S. command of the industry. The EC estimates the battery market may be worth 250 billion euros a year by then. It estimates at least 100 billion euros already has been committed to battery factories or their suppliers in Europe.The goal is to build enterprises in Europe that could supply the region’s automakers without requiring imports from the major battery manufacturing centers in Asia. Currently, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, and BYD Co. dominate production in China. Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. is also building battery gigafactories in the U.S.So far, Europe has no established battery supply chain, though it has drawn investment in local factories from Korean firms including LG Chem Ltd. and Samsung SDI Co. as well as CATL.The new ambition of the commission is to stimulate companies big enough to supply the likes of BMW AG and Volkswagen AG, which plan a massive increase in electric car production. Across the industry, the outlook is for a rising portion of cars to run on batteries in the coming years.No single company will get the lion’s share of the investment or aid. Instead, dozens will benefit in addition to Peugeot and Total, which are building a cell plant in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Funds will also trickle into suppliers of parts or raw materials including Siemens, Umicore SA, Solvay SA and Manz AG.Scarred by losing control of the solar industry in the last decade, Germany is leading the push. The nation was the biggest producer of solar cells in the early 2000s before Chinese companies backed by government loans took the lead.When it comes to batteries, Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier is focused on the 800,000 jobs in Germany tied directly to car manufacturing. Batteries account for about a third of the value of an electric car, and without facilities to make those in Europe, more jobs will go to Asia, Altmaier has said.“There’s going to be huge demand in Europe for battery cells,” Altmaier said on ARD Television in June. “We must have the ambition to build the best battery cells in the world in Europe and Germany.”Sefcovic envisions 10 or 20 “gigafactories” making battery cells across Europe and with his support the European Battery Alliance is seeking to coordinate research that will be the foundation of the plan. NorthVolt intends to be one of the major battery makers, feeding BMW and other major automakers.“If we want to be one of the major manufacturers in Europe by 2030 we need to build about 150 gigawatt-hours of capacity,’’ said NorthVolt Chief Executive Officer Peter Carlsson. “The customer demand is so strong that we are accelerating our plans. We have taken a huge step on the way to create a new Swedish industry that will have a big impact in cutting our dependence of fossil fuels.’’To contact the reporters on this story: Ewa Krukowska in Brussels at ekrukowska@bloomberg.net;Jesper Starn in Stockholm at jstarn@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net, Brian ParkinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Reuters

    UPDATE 1-Chinese electric automaker BYD opens first plant in Canada

    Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co Ltd said on Tuesday it had opened its first plant in Canada, which will initially focus on assembling buses for the Toronto Transit Commission, a public transport agency. The 45,000 sq.ft. facility is based in Ontario and the transport agency will receive 10 electric buses with an option for 30 more, the Warren Buffett-backed company said. As traditional automakers withdraw from Canada, municipalities across the country are doubling their efforts to tackle climate change through zero-emissions transit, Ted Dowling, vice-president of BYD Canada, said.

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