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China e-commerce company Vipshop Holdings ( VIPS ) reported strong fourth-quarter earnings but shares fell as first-quarter guidance fell short. The Q1 shortfall reflects economic uncertainties in China and elsewhere as well as competitive pressures from Alibaba ( BABA ) and JD.com ( JD ), China e-commerce companies. Late Wednesday, Vipshop reported revenue of $2.15 billion, up 65% in local currency year over year. Vipshop posted a 58% increase in the number of active users to 19.8 million and a 67% increase in total orders of 65 million. Earnings per share minus items of 18 cents rose 66% in local currency, beating the consensus estimate of 16 cents. Vipshop stock was down nearly 12%, near 11, in early afternoon trading in the stock market today . JD stock was down 3.5%, near 24.75. Alibaba was down 1.6%, near 66.17. Vipshop expects Q1 revenue to rise 37% to 43%, but analysts expected 44% growth. Last year’s Q1 revenue doubled from the year-earlier quarter. It did not provide an earnings forecast. “Longer term, we remain optimistic on the discount retailing market and continue to believe in Vipshop’s strategic value in the space, which is mainly driven by the company’s merchandising capability and large scale,” wrote Summit Research analyst Henry Guo in a research note. China online gaming company NetEase ( NTES ) reported Q4 earnings late Wednesday that topped forecasts, but its profit margin disappointed and NetEase stock was down 16%, near 134. China Economy An Issue For Vipshop, Others The decline in China Internet stocks come as worries grow about a slowing economy and concerns of Chinese government restrictions on trading. The Shanghai composite, China’s benchmark index, fell 6.4% Thursday. The Shenzen composite, roughly equivalent to the Nasdaq, fell 7.3%. China search leader Baidu ( BIDU ) is set to report earnings after the close Thursday, with analysts looking for guidance on China’s ad market amid an economic slowdown. Baidu stock was down nearly 4%, near 157, Thursday afternoon. Baidu this month announced that it had received a nonbinding proposal from two Baidu executives to acquire the company’s fast-growing Qiyi video unit for $2.8 billion. JD is slated to report Q4 earnings before the market open on Tuesday. The focus is expected to be on JD’s push into online-to-offline (O2O) retailing and other new businesses. JD is banking on its O2O business to help it compete in China’s burgeoning e-commerce arena vs. China e-commerce leader Alibaba and others. Tencent Holdings ( TCEHY ), China’s leader in messaging and gaming, is set to report earnings before the market open March 17. It’s traded in the U.S. over the counter. Tencent, Alibaba, JD and Baidu are the four largest Internet companies in China. On Jan. 28, Alibaba reported earnings for its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 that topped Wall Street expectations. Vipshop is an online discount retailer that sells branded apparel, accessories, home goods and other lifestyle products. It specializes in so-called flash sales, in which a set number of goods are sold over a limited time. “As we diversify our product offering and further enhance the customer experience, we are confident in our ability to drive further growth and value for investors,” Vipshop CEO Eric Shen said in the company’s Q4 earnings release . Vipshop spotlighted its strength in mobile, which accounted for 82% of the total value of goods sold on its website, up from 66% in Q4 2014. It said orders for Vipshop’s core flash sales business jumped 126%. Strong growth in customers and orders in the quarter “implies strong brand awareness among consumers, despite increasing competition in flash sales category from Alibaba and JD.com,” wrote Guo. Scalper1 News
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