Tencent Holdings Stock

Tencent is a Chinese internet service portal offering value-added internet, mobile, telecom, and online advertising services. Since its establishment in 1998, Tencent has maintained steady growth under its user-oriented operating strategies. It provides value-added internet, mobile and telecom services, as well as online advertising under the strategic goal of providing users with "one-stop online lifestyle services." Tencent’s leading internet platforms in China – QQ (QQ Instant Messenger), WeChat, QQ.com, QQ Games, Qzone, 3g.QQ.com, SoSo, PaiPai, and Tenpay – aim to address the various needs of internet users, including communication, information, entertainment, e-commerce, and others. With its R&D staff comprising more than 60% of its employee base, Tencent has obtained patents relating to technologies in various areas such as instant messaging, e-commerce, online payment services, search engine, information security, gaming, and many more. In 2007, Tencent invested more than RMB100 million in setting up the Tencent Research Institute, China's first internet research institute, with campuses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The institute focuses on the self-development of core internet technologies in pursuing its development and innovation goals for the industry. Tencent was founded in November of 1998. In April 2000, the IDG and PCCW invested a total of $2.2 million dollars in the company. Tencent was listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) on June 16, 2004. In September 2013, Tencent's market valuation rose to $101 billion, and as of November 21, 2013, QQ had 2 billion active users and Wechat had 650 million monthly active users. The numbers of active users for QQ mail, Qzone, Tencent Weibo and QQ news were 274 milion, 626 million, 220 million, and 150 million, respectively. Tencent's major competitors include Baidu, Alibaba, and Netease.