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2026-01-12
15:24
Apple Leads Global Smartphone Mkt w/ 20% Shr Last Yr: Counterpoint

Global smartphone deliveries ascended 2% YoY last year, given the demand from emerging markets and amplified economic momentum, according to research firm Counterpoint Research.

Apple (AAPL.US) ranked first with a 20% market share, on the back of solid demand in emerging and mid-sized markets, paired with strong sales of the iPhone 17 series.

Samsung ranked second with a 19% market share, posting moderate growth in sales during the year. XIAOMI-W (01810.HK) ranked third with a 13% market share.
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15:04
India Plans to Require Smartphone Makers to Share Source Code with Govt, Make Software Modifications: Wire

India plans to require smartphone manufacturers to share source code with the government and make multiple software modifications, a move that has sparked private opposition from tech giants like Apple (AAPL.US) and Samsung, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The measures include 83 security standards, which also require companies to report to the government when pushing major software updates, the report, citing four informed sources and Reuters' verification of confidential government and industry documents, showed.

These tech firms argued that such security standards are unprecedented globally and pose a risk of leaking proprietary information. India is the world's second-largest smartphone market, with nearly 750 million mobile devices.
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10:06
Michael Burry Reveals Short Position in Oracle

Prestigious hedge fund manager Michael Burry revealed in his Substack post that he holds a short position in Oracle (ORCL.US), according to foreign media reports. Last November, he had disclosed short positions in Nvidia (NVDA.US) and Palantir (PLTR.US), and that he has been directly shorting Oracle over the past six months without providing details.

Burry explained why he does not short other major tech stocks, noting that shorting Meta (META.US) requires a bearish view on both its social media and advertising dominance; shorting Alphabet (GOOGL.US) involves a bearish view on all forms of Google search, Android, Waymo, etc.; shorting Microsoft (MSFT.US) involves a bearish view on the global office productivity SaaS giant.

He also expected these companies may eventually converge their spending, absorb excess capacity losses, and possibly write off assets, but will still maintain dominance in their core businesses.
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07:48
XIAOMI-W Lei Jun: Tesla Indeed Strong but Not Unbeatable

The sales rankings on Yiche.com showed Tesla (TSLA.US) is indeed strong, but Lei Jun, founder, chairman, and CEO of XIAOMI-W (01810.HK) believed it is not unbeatable.

Lei proudly mentioned that the Xiaomi SU7 is the only pure electric sedan in the same category that has defeated the Model 3 so far, attributing its sales success to excellent product strength and quality.

Separately, the Xiaomi YU7, having been on the market for only half a year, has its sales still lagged behind Model Y, yet Lei believed that YU7 can also compete with Tesla on equal terms given time.
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2026-01-11
04:10
CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh

  • CATL opens Middle East's first NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh —currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China.
  • The facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
  • It also functions as a regional ecosystem hub linking diverse stakeholders and resources to drive industrial synergy and sustainable growth.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East's first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region's shift toward cleaner energy systems.

The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.

Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions. 

Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL's system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.

A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services

Relying on CATL's deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.

Leveraging CATL's advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center's comprehensive after-sales services

helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.

Advancing localized operations and capability building

The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL's localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.

Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.

These initiatives not only bolster CATL's local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.

"As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward," said Ahmed Ibrahim,Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.

"The launch of CATL's Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region's role in advancing the energy transition." said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S. 

Part of a global network

The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL's global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.

A long-term commitment to the Middle East

Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.

"Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment," Li said. "As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and support the region's energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system."

As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL's expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.

 

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2026-01-09
15:53
Smartphone, PC Prices Expected to Rise, as AI Data Center Boom Consumes Large Amounts of Memory Chips

The boom in AI data center construction has prompted a reduction in the supply of memory chips, and potentially a rise in prices of consumer products such as smartphones and personal computers this year, Financial Times reported.

Several semiconductor giants, including Arm (ARM.US), Qualcomm (QCOM.US), and Samsung, warned this week that the global race to build large AI infrastructure is squeezing the supply of components needed for mobile devices and other home electronics, report said.

Over the past year, companies like Alphabet (GOOG.US), Amazon (AMZN.US), Meta (META.US), and OpenAI have pledged billions of US dollars to build data centers to support advanced AI models and products, believing that the technology will transform various industries.
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10:53
CICC: Chatbots Have Become Killer App of AI Era

According to Sensor Tower, ChatGPT's mobile MAUs surpassed 870 million in November 2025, capturing a market share as high as 63%, CICC wrote in its research report.

Gemini, meanwhile, was leveraging Google's vast ecosystem to catch up with the pace of ChatGPT. In China, ByteDance's Doubao emerged as a winner with hundreds of millions of daily active users. CICC suggested investors should pay attention to the competitive landscape among Chinese and international players, as well as trends in agentization and commercialization.

The report also highlighted chatbots' position as the "Killer App" in the AI era. While the core transformation of the internet stemmed from changes in production relations, which gave rise to "Killer Apps" such as social networks and UGC content platforms as ordinary users could easily become creators, the core transformation of large AI models lies in productivity, enabling them to efficiently understand user needs and generate content, which eventually leads to the emergence of chatbots.

Currently, chatbots' average monthly active days per user, daily usage time, and retention rates are gradually approaching those of social platforms. Their penetration in work, learning, and entertainment scenarios also continues to deepen.

CICC's investment ratings and target prices for chatbot-related stocks:

Stock | Investment Rating | Target Price
TENCENT (00700.HK) | Outperform | HKD700
BABA-W (09988.HK) | Outperform | HKD197
BIDU-SW (09888.HK) | Outperform | HKD196
Meta (META.US) | Outperform | USD773
Alphabet (GOOGL.US) | Outperform | USD303
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10:12
Microsoft Report: DeepSeek Propels AI Adoption in Developing Countries, Narrowing Gap with Advanced Economies

A report by Microsoft (MSFT.US) suggested that the Chinese startup DeepSeek is making progress in many developing countries, potentially narrowing the gap in AI adoption between these countries and advanced economies, ABC News reported.

As of the quarter ending last December, the global adoption rate of generative AI tools was 16.3% of the world's population, up 1.2 ppts QoQ, the report said. The gap in AI adoption between developed and developing countries is widening, with the former adopting at nearly twice the rate of the latter.

Countries that have made early and sustained investments in digital infrastructure and AI, such as the UAE, Singapore, France, and Spain, led in user share. However, DeepSeek is promoting broader AI adoption in the developing world through its free and open-source models.
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05:09
DJIA Closes Up 270Pts; Alphabet Up 1% to New High; Nvidia Leads Tech Stock Decline

US stocks jumbled on Thursday, as the market kept tabs on international developments. The DJIA opened lower but trended up. At close, it jumped up 270 points or 0.6%, at 49,266, recovering some of Wednesday's losses. The Nasdaq finished down 104 points or 0.4%, at 23,480. The S&P 500 inched up less than 1 point, closing at 6,921.

Alphabet (GOOG.US) defied the market trend, peaking at US$330.54 and closing up 1.1% at US$326.01, notching a record closing high. Its market cap approached US$4 trillion, toppling Apple to become the second highest in the US stock market.

Major tech stocks descended broadly, with Nvidia (NVDA.US) down 2.2%, Intel (INTC.US) down 3.6%, and Apple (AAPL.US) and Meta (META.US) down less than 1%.
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2026-01-08
18:01
He Xiaopeng: Robotaxi Still Needs Steering Wheel and Brakes

The 2026 XPENG Global Product Launch Event was held, after which XPENG-W (09868.HK) Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng spoke with the media, stating that Tesla (TSLA.US) is an excellent company, and both parties can encourage each other and grow together to create better products.

Speaking of Robotaxi, the Chairman mentioned that it still needs a steering wheel and brakes, yet it will become increasingly safe and user-friendly, while also requiring regulation.

During the launch, He revealed that XPeng will commence Robotaxi operations in 2026.
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