For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 19, 2015 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include the Alibaba (BABA), Netflix Inc. (NFLX), Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (QIHU), SouFun Holdings Ltd. (SFUN) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (YGE).

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Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

China Stock Roundup: Alibaba’s Netflix?

Markets suffered a week of significant losses, following concerns over new share sales and no announcements of additional monetary stimulus. The Shanghai Composite fell from a seven-year high on Monday following concerns that IPOs will draw funds away from older shares. Stocks declined again on Tuesday on similar fears and also due to concerns that valuations were exceeding earnings by a wide margin.

The benchmark rebounded on Wednesday after power producers gained following indications that industry-wide reforms will lead to an increase in earnings. By Thursday, stocks were set for their sharpest weekly loss in more than six years.

Alibaba’s (BABA) digital entertainment business’ president Liu Chunning said it plans to launch China’s very own version of Netflix Inc. ( NFLX) and HBO -- Tmall Box Office (TBO). Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (QIHU) has received a takeover offer from a group of buyers headed by the company’s CEO Hongyi Zhou.

Last Week’s Developments

Last week, the benchmark index gained 2.9%. The Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.9% on Friday. Prospects of additional monetary stimulus negated concerns that IPOs would lure funds away from existing stocks. Meanwhile, China Merchants Co. said the country’s central bank may lower reserve requirement ratios by this weekend itself, boosting investor sentiment further.

Stocks gained last week following optimism about the economy created by bullish economic data. Industrial output increased 6.1% in May, exceeding the 5.9% recorded in April. Retail sales surged 10.1% while fixed asset investment gained 11.4%.

New home sales increased at a faster clip than the 16% year-over-year increase recorded in April. Additionally, aggregate financing exceed estimates, coming in at 1.22 trillion yuan. New yuan loans also exceeded expectations, coming at 900.8 billion yuan.

Markets and the Economy This Week

The Shanghai Composite lost 2% on Monday, recording the highest decline since May 28. The benchmark fell from a seven-year high following concerns that IPOs will draw funds away from older shares. Losses were led by tech stocks. The small-cap Chi-Next index slumped 5.2% following concerns created by the upcoming 25 new share sales.

The CSI 300 declined 2.1%. All of its 10 sub-indexes suffered losses with tech and telecom stocks losing a minimum of 4.3% and emerged as the largest losers. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 2.6% while the Hang Seng moved down 1.5%. No announcements of further monetary stimulus, which was expected to come in over the weekend, also dented sentiments.

Stocks declined again on Tuesday, marking the Shanghai Composite’s largest two day loss for June. Fears that valuations were exceeding earnings by a wide margin and concerns that IPOs would lure funds away from older stocks were responsible for the day’s losses. The benchmark index slumped 3.5% taking two-day losses to 5.4%.

The CSI 300 lost 3%. Gauges of telecom and tech stocks within the index declined a minimum of 3.5%. The ChiNext declined 2.9% and had retreated 9.8% from the record high achieved on Jun 3. The Hang Seng declined 1.1%.

The H-share index moved down 2.7% and had lost 10% since the record level achieved on May 26. The Shenzhen Composite declined 3.5%. Technical issues have led to a delay in the announcement of the date of commencement of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen exchange link.

The Shanghai Composite rebounded on Wednesday, gaining 1.7%. Stocks moved upward after power producers gained following indications that industry-wide reforms will lead to an increase in earnings. Additionally, lenders gained after the government agreed to allow partial privatization of government owned enterprises.

The ChiNext index of small-cap stocks spiked 4.2% while the CSI 400 increased 1.5%. Sub-indexes of tech and utility stocks increased by a minimum of 3.3%, emerging as the best performing industry. The Hang Seng moved up 0.7% while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index advanced 1.2%.

Stocks were set for their sharpest weekly loss in more than six years on Thursday. New share sales tied up funds and investors pondered whether markets’ gains have come too fast and were excessive in nature. The Shanghai Composite slumped 3.7%, losing 7.4% over the week. Tech and consumer stocks led losses.

The CSI 300 declined 4.1%. The ChiNext slumped 6.3% while the Hang Seng declined 0.2%. The H-share index lost 1.1%. Meanwhile, home prices declined in a lower number of cities in May, marking the third successive month when the number of cities witnessing price decline has come in lower. Additionally, FDI increased 7.8% in May on a year-over-year basis.

Stocks in the News

Alibaba ’s digital entertainment business’ president Liu Chunning said that the company’s goal is to become like Netflix and HBO in the US. On Sunday, Chunning, in a press briefing announced Alibaba’s plan to launch China’s very own version of Netflix and HBO - Tmall Box Office.

The new service, set to be rolled out in two months, will be offered via Alibaba’s set-top box and smart televisions manufactured by Haier Group Corp. While some of the content will be domestically produced, some of it will be purchased overseas. No details regarding how much TBO will cost to viewers were revealed.

Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. has received a takeover offer from a group of buyers headed by the company’s CEO Hongyi Zhou. Qihoo 360, which makes mobile security software, joins the slew of China-based tech companies that have received offers to delist from the NYSE and return home.

Zhou’s investor group has offered to pay $77 per ADS to purchase all outstanding stock. This is 17% higher than Tuesday’s closing price. On Wednesday, Qihoo spiked 6.2% to $70.15 on the NYSE. The stock was primarily responsible for a 1.6% increase in the Bloomberg China-US Index.

Meanwhile, SouFun Holdings Ltd. (SFUN) and Xunlei Limited each gained a minimum of 9%. Analysts believe both these companies may also soon receive takeover offers. Qihoo had a market cap of $8.63 billion as of the end of Tuesday’s trading. According to analysts, it is possibly the largest China tech company listed in the U.S. to receive a takeover offer recently.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (YGE) or “Yingli Solar” announced that it has connected its 50 MW PV power plant, located in Hebei Province, China, to the utility grid.

The 50 MW PV power plant is the first and largest power plant in Handan City, Hebei Province. This province neighboring Beijing is one of the most polluted in China due to its thriving steel industry. This province has loads of coal based power generation units, supplying power to the steel industry. However, the State Council has ordered the Hebei Province to cut production of iron and steel to reduce smog.

The new solar project is expected to generate nearly 54 million kilowatt-hours of solar electricity annually, equivalent to offsetting about 50,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. This project will generate annual revenues of $8.7 million (RMB 54 million) from national feed-in-tariffs for the next 20 years.

Yingli Solar is planning to transfer this project to a third party, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2015. With this, the company has added nearly 180 MW of green energy to the grid.

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