🇨🇳 Alibaba's big AI bet

Fast-fashion giant Shein wants to take its wares to the UK | Alibaba made a record-breaking AI investment | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH     Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for February 28th in 3:15 minutes.   🐂 Trying to invest in today's risky climate is like jumping onto a bucking bronco blindfolded. So join us for [A Beginner's Playbook For Investing This Year]( on Thursday, and figure out how to at least take the blindfold off. [Grab your free ticket]( Today's big stories - Shein sidled up to the British stock market after the US cast a skeptical eye over its designs - Small, obscure, dividend-paying stocks might be worth your attention – [Read Now]( - Alibaba made a record-breaking investment in OpenAI’s Chinese rival, Moonshot AI London Fashion Speak [London Fashion Speak] What’s going on here? After New York turned its nose up, Shein might be [taking]( its fast-fashion garms to the streets – or at least the stock market – of London. What does this mean? Plenty of clothes stores are dressing their windows with sustainable accolades to win over increasingly eco-conscious fashionistas. Not Shein: aware that plenty of shoppers will always prioritize price, the fast-fashion label churns out clothes that go for an average of $10.70. The company was confident that its rampant sales would justify an $80 to $90 billion debut on the US market. But when Shein was valued closer to $50 billion late last year, the firm ditched its affinity for low prices and checked out options in London, Hong Kong, and Singapore instead. They may be safer routes anyway: US regulations are making it tougher for companies with Chinese ties, like Shein, to keep both sides happy. Why should I care? The bigger picture: Here for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Shein’s rival Temu is trying to win over US shoppers, too. Backed by ecommerce giant Pinduoduo, the Chinese online marketplace spent $1.7 billion on marketing last year, and plans to raise that to $3 billion this year to take on the likes of Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and Wayfair. Temu is a dab hand at catching shoppers’ eyes, but with only 14% of buyers still shopping on the site four months after their first purchase, the bargain retailer needs to work on winning their long-term loyalty. Zooming in: China’s shopping local. Chinese shoppers are backing homegrown companies, and that’s changing the fate of companies that have won over the sprawling and (usually) lucrative market. China’s own BYD, for example, just toppled Tesla to become the world’s top-selling electric carmaker. Local brand Luckin Coffee made more sales in China than Starbucks last year, too, showing that China's shoppers prefer decent value over Instagrammable logos – especially now that the economy’s in a pinch. You might also like: [It’s going to be a hotter year for IPOs, so here’s how to make the most of it.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=London Fashion Speak&utm_campaign=daily-global-28-02-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Five Hidden Gem Income-Paying Stocks To Consider [Five Hidden Gem Income-Paying Stocks To Consider]( Good things can come in small packages – and often, where you least expect them. Those aren’t just platitudes: they’re [words of wisdom]( to keep in mind when you’re investing. So with that guidance in mind, here's a list of [five dividend-paying stocks](. They’re not the big names, and honestly, some of them have done pretty badly lately. Stay with us, though: they have [potential]( – and a tidy income stream. That’s today’s Insight: [five lesser-known income-paying stocks you might want to consider](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY IG The tide is turning for British banking They say “all publicity is good publicity”, but the UK would likely disagree after the year it’s had. High interest rates started off by lining British banks’ pockets, but now that major institutions are jostling for a shrinking number of customers, they’ve become more of a burden. But the country’s banks will be calling up every publicist in town now: according to a [fresh report from S&P Global Ratings](, British banks are set to have [a year worth bragging about](. S&P predicts that [the UK’s eight biggest banks]( will manage to pile up profit, even if interest rates stay high and the economy keeps looking like a damp squib. Sounds surprising, but the credit agency has its reasons: [find out why the S&P is backing British banks for free](. DisclaimerYour capital is at risk. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. [Find Out More]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. If you want your brand featured here, [get in touch.]( To The Moon [To The Moon] What's going on here? Alibaba [invested]( enough money into Moonshot AI to mark China’s single biggest startup financing round, a sure sign that it believes the OpenAI competitor can really go the distance. What does this mean? Alibaba’s been up against it for years, with tightening tech regulations making it even harder to make money in China’s already stuttering economy. That struggle is showing: investors have pushed the ecommerce company’s stock down three-quarters from its 2021 peak. No wonder, then, that Alibaba seems to be putting its hopes into another technology: Moonshot AI, creator of the generative AI chatbot “Kimi”, the same type of tech as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Alibaba’s investment won’t just buy the company a stake in a likely frontrunner in the lucrative AI sector, but the cash could speed up Moonshot’s development, potentially creating cutting-edge tools that Alibaba could use to smooth out supply chains and automate parts of the business. Why should I care? For markets: Saudi Arabia wants intel, stat. Most big-money investors have fled the country, putting the least amount of money into Chinese deals last year since 2019. Saudi Arabian investors have taken that as a sign to buy, though, investing hundreds of millions into Chinese tech firms like Alibaba and SenseTime. They’ll hold out to make their money back – but they want information in the meantime, pushing the companies they’ve invested in to share their expertise with Saudi’s own technical talent. For you personally: Burry the hatchet. Saudi Arabian investors aren’t the only ones dipping a toe into China. The “Big Short” star Michael Burry has dunked his whole foot in, buying enough Alibaba stock to make it Scion Asset Management’s biggest holding. That may be a risky bet, but at least it’s a cheap one: the country’s tech stocks are trading at roughly half the price of US ones, an appealing backup option for those who missed the stateside surge. You might also like: [Why the Year Of The Dragon could mean it’s time to invest in China again](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=To The Moon&utm_campaign=daily-global-28-02-2024&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day "Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace." – Amelia Earhart (an American aviator) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY GRAYSCALE Crypto myths: busted Crypto is always complicated. Wrong: not with [Bitcoin ETFs](. You can now invest in crypto straight from your same old brokerage account, a way to invest that you are familiar with and know. That means you can make like investors who have already joined the decentralized revolution, [diversifying your portfolio against traditional market issues]( using emerging technologies. You have options of course, but [GBTC is the world’s biggest Bitcoin ETF](, sponsored by the [world’s biggest* crypto asset manager, Grayscale](. And in crypto, expertise goes a long way. [Discover a new way to do crypto]( – no deep web tangles or famously expensive pizzas in sight. [Discover More]( Important Disclosures*Based on AUM as of 1.31.24. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) (the “Trust”) has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Trust has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Trust and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at [www.sec.gov.]( Alternatively, the Trust or any authorized participant will arrange to send you the prospectus (when available) if you request it by calling (833) 903 - 2211 or by contacting Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. Foreside Fund Services, LLC is the Marketing Agent for the Trust.An investment in the Trust involves a high degree of risk, including partial or total loss of invested funds. The Trust holds Bitcoins; however, an investment in the Trust is not a direct investment in Bitcoin. As a non-diversified and single industry fund, the value of the shares may fluctuate more than shares invested in a broader range of industries. Extreme volatility, regulatory changes, and exposure to digital asset exchanges may impact the value of Bitcoin, and consequently the value of the Trust. Digital assets are not suitable for an investor that cannot afford loss of the entire investment. There is no guarantee that a market for the shares will be available which will adversely impact the liquidity of the Trust. The value of the Trust relates directly to the value of the underlying digital asset, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors. We use the generic term “ETF” to refer to exchange-traded investment vehicles, including those that are required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “40 Act”), as well as other exchange-traded products which are not subject to the registration of the ‘40 Act. The Fund is not registered under the 1940 Act and is not subject to regulation under the 1940 Act, unlike most exchange traded products or ETFs. 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