Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Chinese metals miner Qiao Xing Universal Resources
So what: Investors were obviously hoping for more out of Qiao Xing Universal as shares had jumped almost 9% yesterday. Total sales fell 28% while operating income dipped into the red. Qiao Xing continues to struggle in its telecom segment -- which is comprised of its majority ownership of Qiao Xing Mobile Communications
Now what: This is definitely a quirky little company, as it's focused on mining of molybdenum, copper, and other non-ferrous metals as well as selling mobile handsets through Qiao Xing Mobile, which it's trying to acquire in full. The obvious downside is that the results look pretty pitiful, particularly in the mobile-phone business. However, the stocks of both Qiao Xing Universal and Qiao Xing Mobile are trading at a pretty steep discount to book value. When the price is right, I'm a fan of calculated speculation, and I currently have Qiao Xing Mobile in my portfolio. A sure thing this is not, but the company's balance sheet makes it (or Qiao Xing Universal) a pretty interesting speculation.
Want to keep up to date on the Qiao Xing companies? Add Qiao Xing Universal to your watchlist. Or add Qiao Xing Mobile to your watchlist.