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Chinese web giant Tencent was added to a U.S. government list of military-linked companies, spooking investors and triggering as much as a 7% plunge in its Hong Kong-listed shares.
While the Chinese internet giant Tencent is best-known for its super-app WeChat, it's also a major investor in U.S. tech companies and startups. Some of its most notable and still active investments include Reddit, Snap, and Fortnite creator Epic Games.
Shares of Tencent (TCEHY -7.69%), the Chinese tech giant and owner of the WeChat superapp, were tumbling Monday after the U.S. Department of Defense listed the company as a Chinese military entity in a Federal Register filing.
Goldman Sachs analyst Ronald Keung maintained a Buy rating on Tencent Holdings ADR TCEHY and a price target of 542 Hong Kong dollars ($69.70 U.S. dollars).
The U.S. Defense Department said Monday it had added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China's military.
Tencent stock price had a good performance in 2024 as it became one of the best performers in the Hang Seng index. It has jumped by 40% this year, helped by the rebound in some prominent Chinese technology companies.
Tencent Holdings (HKG:0700, OTC:TCEHY) Ltd and Honor Devices Co have unveiled a long-term partnership around cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) development. Chinese smartphone maker Honor will adopt Tencent's cloud infrastructure under the deal, including for the likes of analytics and search tools.
Two Tencent-appointed board members have stepped down from Epic Games' board following concerns raised by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ stated that their roles on the boards of both Epic Games and Tencent, a competitor, violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits interlocking directorates.
Two directors of Epic Games, who had been appointed by Chinese gaming and social media firm Tencent Holdings , resigned from Epic's board after the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division expressed concerns that their positions on both the Epic and Tencent boards violated U.S. law, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.
Shares of Chinese consumer tech-oriented names Tencent Holdings (TCEHY 5.77%), Baidu (BIDU 9.23%), and Futu Holdings (FUTU 22.47%) rocketed higher on Monday, up 5.5%, 10.1%, and 21.9% as of noon ET.
Dutch technology investor Prosus NV reported on Monday an 89.5% jump in core headline earnings during its half year, driven by accelerated growth and improved profitability of its e-commerce businesses and China's Tencent.