(Preview) Five Questions on the Fifth Plenum; Mbappé Hysteria and a Chinese Own Goal; The STAR 50 AI Bubble Has Burst
(Preview) Five Questions on the Fifth Plenum; Mbappé Hysteria and a Chinese Own Goal; The STAR 50 AI Bubble Has Burst
Podcast19 min 8 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights
  • Treat On Holding (ONON) as a watchlist name, not a buy or sell based on its reported 4% weekly decline; assess its China exposure and business performance before acting.
  • Be cautious with consumer brands and sports businesses that rely on China for revenue or growth, as geopolitical backlash could threaten commercial relationships.
  • The discussion provides no actionable trade on Chinese AI stocks or the STAR 50; don’t infer a buy or sell signal from the episode title alone.
Detailed Analysis

On Holding AG (ONON)

  • On (the athletic-wear brand) had recently signed Kylian Mbappé, and the transcript says its shares were down 4% that week amid the controversy over his comments about Mao.
  • The hosts described the episode as an example of how backlash in China can put foreign brands and sponsors under pressure, even when the original remarks were viewed as benign.
  • The discussion does not establish how much of On’s business depends on China or whether the share-price decline was caused solely by the controversy.

Takeaways

  • The episode highlights reputational and geopolitical risk for consumer brands with exposure to China, including through celebrity endorsements.
  • The reported 4% decline is a short-term move, not a price target or a basis for a buy-or-sell decision. Investors would need to assess the company’s China exposure and broader business performance.

La Liga and China-Exposed Sports Businesses

  • The hosts said La Liga earns close to €100 million a year from broadcast rights and other business in China.
  • They noted that a boycott or loss of Chinese broadcasting revenue could affect the league, its teams and players, as well as sponsors seeking to grow in China.
  • The transcript presents the controversy as a risk to revenue and commercial relationships, but does not name publicly traded securities tied to La Liga or quantify potential losses.

Takeaways

  • Sports organizations and sponsors with revenue or growth plans tied to China may face market-access and public-backlash risks.
  • Treat the cited €100 million as context about La Liga’s China business, not as an estimate of losses from this incident.

Chinese Equities and the STAR 50 AI Theme

  • The episode title refers to the STAR 50 AI bubble having burst, but this preview does not discuss the index, AI-related companies, or the claim in detail.
  • In the spoken discussion, the hosts refer generally to cratering markets and a stock market that has been “crashing,” without naming an index, describing causes, or giving valuations.

Takeaways

  • The preview provides no specific investment case, valuation evidence, or timing guidance for Chinese equities or AI stocks.
  • Do not draw a trading conclusion from the episode title alone; the transcript excerpt does not supply enough detail to evaluate the STAR 50 or the AI theme.

Other Assets

  • No cryptocurrencies are mentioned.
  • No price targets, timelines, or explicit buy/sell recommendations are given.
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Episode Description
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with five questions on the Fifth Plenum as Xi continues his corruption crackdowns and propaganda campaigns emphasize ideological unity and discipline. Topics include: The logistics of this week’s meeting, the challenge of implementing policies throughout the country, the real corruption crisis that Xi inherited 14 years ago, costs of the crackdowns, and the inevitable arrival of a unified version of Xi Jinping Thought. From there: A tour of the hysterics surrounding Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid this week, including the benign comments at issue, questions about why this is happening now, how the Party views Mao, how Chinese citizens view Mao, and why, if this is all part of a strategy, it may be a bad one. At the end: More bad news from the stock market as tech stocks continue to collapse, questions about forthcoming policies, and a bittersweet update on Pop Mart’s fortunes in the afterglow of the Labubu craze.
About Sharp China with Bill Bishop
Sharp China with Bill Bishop

Sharp China with Bill Bishop

By Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill Bishop

Understanding China and how China impacts the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Bill Bishop.