BizChina

China Cosco Group, the world's second largest shipping company, announced on Tuesday plans to raise as much as 3.9 billion yuan, one day after its real estate subsidiary stunned the public by buying land at a record high price in Beijing.

Cosco hopes to sell 390 million new shares of its Shanghai-listed unit Cosco Shipping Co to shareholders by placing three shares for every 10 shares. "The money would mainly be used to build 18 multi-purpose cargo ships and heavy-lift carriers," said the company.

"The plan is a good investment in the shipbuilding industry, which was already sunk by the global financial crisis," said Wu Yunying, an analyst at Changjiang Securities.

But the financing plan has drawn public criticism as Sino-Ocean Land, its Hong Kong-listed real estate subsidiary, on March 15 won the bid on a 169,500 square meter parcel of land located in Beijing's Chaoyang District, for a price of 4.08 billion yuan, or 24,000 yuan per square meter. The company has since been named the capital's new "land king".

Since last year, State-owned companies have been accused of triggering asset bubbles in first-tier cities as they continued to break land price records with abundant capital flow that private players don't have.

Some analysts said the big spending on land and consecutive financing plans may affect its brand image with the public, and regulators may tighten the State-owned company's spending on real estate projects.

However, Wu from Changjiang Securities said: "For Cosco investors, the news could have little impact, as the property sector only accounts for a slice of the group's business."

The real estate business is not a major profit maker for Cosco Group, Zhang Fusheng, vice-president of the group said in an earlier interview with China Daily, without elaborating.

He also denied potential exit from this sector, as the central government suggested State-owned companies consider.

According to Zhang, the group made a profit of 600 million yuan last year, with the shipping business making up 70 percent of total revenue.

Its listed unit, Cosco Shipping Co, on Tuesday reported a 90.64 percent slump in net profit to 136 million yuan, and a 43.46 percent decrease in revenue to 3.9 billion yuan in 2009.

The results were within market estimates, said Yu Jianjun, an analyst at Huatai Securities. He predicted that the company's performance will rebound as the shipping industry gradually recovers this year.

"The new fund-raising plan will help strengthen Cosco Shipping's long-term competitiveness," Yu said.

Aluminum Corp of China (Chinalco), the nation's largest aluminum producer, is in talks with Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto Group on potential projects amid reports that they will jointly develop a $12 billion iron-ore project.

"We are in talks with Rio Tinto on potential projects, and we are talking with many partners on investment projects. Rio is one of them," said Lu Youqing, vice-president of Chinalco, the top shareholder in Rio with a 9.3 percent stake. However, he declined to specify the project.

The Sydney Morning Herald had earlier reported that the two companies are in talks to develop the Simandou iron-ore project in the West African nation of Guinea.

A tie-up with Chinalco could help Rio offset some of the continuing costs of the projected $6 billion Guinea mine project. Rio is spending about $10 million a month to explore the mine in anticipation of selling the ore commercially, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said on Tuesday, quoting an unnamed source.

Blue Focus Communication Group LLC, a Beijing-based public relations company, got a promotional boost of its own when it was listed on the second board on Feb 27.

That glow is also being cast on other Chinese PR companies as investors and financial experts put their own spin on prospects for the sector.

According to the disclosure issued with its initial public offering (IPO), Blue Focus posted 330 million yuan in revenue and a profit of 44 million yuan in 2008. The company's shares closed Thursday at 48.62 yuan, up from the initial offering price of 33.86 yuan.

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same," says Jasper Liu, 26, summarizing his approach to shopping by quoting Coco Chanel.

Liu, a self-described "Shanghai Hipster," represents the nouveau riche of China. He reads English literature, watches European movies, drinks fine champagne and is a loyal patron of luxury retailers, namely Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent.

The affection is mutual: Fashion houses with global ambitions are courting Chinese consumers like Jasper, eager to learn how they spend, why they spend and just how much they're willing to spend.

The answer: quite a lot if the quality and label are right. In a recent study by retail consulting firm Pao Principle, the average Chinese luxury consumer will spend roughly 11% of her income on luxury handbags alone. The group's favorite brands, in order of preference: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Coach, Chanel and Prada.

Over the past year Patti Pao, the founder of Pao Principle, has collected data on the mainland's elite consumers: amassing a panel of 356 individuals who have purchased a luxury handbag, watch or fine jewelry piece in the last twelve months. Her snapshots of their habits create a portrait of a misunderstood luxury consumer who is highly educated and highly motivated to identify products that will complement his or her individuality and rising power.