Reply to this post Instagram hammers two more nails into Snap. Instagram has passed 1bn monthly active users (MaUs) which combined with the launch of an offering for creators that enables longer form video content, leaves Snapchat in an increasingly unwinnable position. This has gone hand in hand with poor performance by Snap Inc’s stock...
Reply to this post Removal of bias essential for commercialisation. IBM’s debating AI is not going to fool anyone, but it does represent a step forward from Jeopardy, reinforcing RFM’s position that in the enterprise, IBM has a pretty strong AI offering. However, ensuring that the opinions are created without bias will be crucial to ensuring that the AI can...
Reply to this post JD.com will help Google shopping a bit. Sinking $550m into JD.com is unlikely to do anything for Google’s fortunes (or lack thereof) in China, but it may help somewhat with the biggest weakness of the Google Assistant in developed markets: shopping. It is also a recognition that if one wants to...
Reply to this post Amazon: 480 – Alibaba 600,000+. Alibaba is already streets ahead of Amazon when it comes to total business transactions and its move into retail shows that it is China where all the new ideas are happening first. Amazon has a much higher market valuation than Alibaba but when looks at the...
Reply to this post Insurance industry has no choice but to resist. While the regulatory environment is moving towards an acceptance of autonomous vehicles far more quickly than I thought, I still think that the main resistance will come from the insurance industry, despite some studies indicating to the contrary. Research from Bloomberg Industries and...
Reply to this post Sony is gifting Microsoft a big opportunity. Sony does not seem to have learned from the destruction of its personal music player business at the hands of Apple and looks to be more than happy to repeat it with its massively successful gaming business. There is no question that Sony has...
Reply to this post A valuation richer than Alibaba makes no sense. Investment banks involved in Xiaomi’s IPO have released their valuations and while they are well below $100bn, I am unable to come up with a single reason why Xiaomi should have a higher multiple than Alibaba. Put simply Alibaba is a colossus in...
Reply to this post A 238,000 recall that should cost nothing. Daimler has been ordered to recall 238,000 vehicles to fix engine control software that is related to the VW emissions scandal from 2015 which further highlights the importance of enabling over the air software updates. There is a good chance that the recall will...
Reply to this post Better late than never. The biggest move at this year’s E3 gaming conference was Microsoft which may be finally moving to address the biggest opportunity in gaming, the smartphone. In addition to 50 new titles, 15 Xbox exclusives and the acquisition of four gaming studios, Microsoft also announced that it is...
Richard is founder, owner of research company, Radio Free Mobile. He has 16 years of experience working in sell side equity research. During his 11 year tenure at Nomura Securities, he focused on the equity coverage of the Global Technology sector.
Meituan – New club member.
Reply to this post A better shot at the $100bn club. Meituan has filed for an IPO which, in my opinion, has much better fundamental reasons to justify a $100bn valuation than Xiaomi where reality seems to be pushing the listing valuation gradually downwards. Meituan was created from the merger of Meituan and Dianping both of whom specialise in online...