Tag: foxconn

Snapdeal is in advanced investment discussions with Alibaba and Foxconn

India’s Snapdeal continues to attract strong interest from other companies involved in the mobile commerce space. This week, Snapdeal announced the acquisition of a mobile app developer, which is expected to further solidify the company’s mobile commerce dominance. Now, China’s Alibaba and Taiwanese handset manufacturer Foxconn have entered into advanced discussions regarding purchasing a 10% stake in Snapdeal. This is not the first time that Alibaba has shown investment interest in Snapdeal.

Alibaba has shown an intense interest in India’s mobile commerce space

As one of China’s largest e-commerce entities, Alibaba has been very aware of the growing prevalence of mobile commerce. In China, smartphone penetration has been growing quickly, and many people are becoming more interested in the concepts surrounding mobile shopping. Snapdeal has become the largest player in India’s mobile commerce market, which has made the company a very attractive topic for Alibaba and others. Alibaba has already invested in India’s mobile commerce space, purchasing a 25% stake in Paytm earlier this year.

India has become one of the most attractive and fastest growing mobile markets in the world

Mobile commerce is growing very quickly in India, making the country one of the most attractive mobile markets in the world. Investments from foreign companies are adding fuel to the growth in this sector and companies like Snapdeal could have a lot to gain from such investment interest. Investment discussions do not always work out, however, and initial negotiations between Snapdeal and Alibaba failed due to differences in valuation of Snapdeal’s stock. Alibaba has, however, returned to discussions with some enthusiasm.

Investments will help Snapdeal thrive and provide better services in the mobile commerce space

Snapdeal has raised approximately $1 billion in funding through investments, with Japan’s Softbank being a primary investor in the company. This funding has been instrumental in Snapdeal’s plans to become a mobile commerce powerhouse. The more funding that the company can raise, the better services it will be able to provide to consumers and businesses alike.

That said, the company is still in critical care as it continues to battle to break even in its cash flow.

Investors have turned their eyes back on BlackBerry Ltd., once more, as the company’s strategies for cutting costs and preserving funds have led it to actually report a solid balance sheet in its fourth quarter earnings, which were released in recent news.

This will help to give the company the time that it needs to be able to attempt to turn its situation around.

BlackBerry brought itself about as close to death as a company can. However, now that it has broken through the other side of that experience, it is now working on the “specifics of charting a course to promised cash flow break-even by the fiscal first quarter.” This technology news is according to RBC Capital Markets analyst, Mark Sue.

Sue pointed out that liquidity is no longer one of BlackBerry’s largest risks within the near future.

He pointed out that the reason that liquidity isn’t among the struggles that the company will face in the near future is because of the tax refunds that it will receive, this quarter, which are expected to total approximately $500 million (U.S.). Moreover, it will receive an additional $300 to $400 million in tax refunds due to its recent sales in real estate. The result will be an additional $2.2 billion in net cash.

Sue’s belief is that if it is possible for the transition between the mobile devices manufacturer and Foxconn Technology Group’s production to increase the blended gross margins of the company could make it into the mid to high thirties, then it should also be possible for the cash flow of that handset maker to reach the break even point, which is an estimated $600 million for its standard operations.

The RBC Capital Markets analyst explained that “Should service revenue attrition continue or if Foxconn smartphone demand doesn’t improve, BlackBerry will need to cut more open.” He underscored the importance of the enterprise business stability at the company, which would represent an enterprise subscribership of an estimated 15 to 20 million, which would mean between five and seven million shipments of handsets each year, on top of service revenues of $1.6 billion.