NetEase Inc. (NTES, Weiss Ratings: A+) posted a first-quarter jump in profits of 13% while net revenue surged nearly 55%, backed by the high demand for online games and related content. Its shares, up 82% over the past 12 months, were up nearly 7% early today.
The company operates Activision Blizzard Inc.’s gaming platform battle.net along with “World of Warcraft” and other franchises in China. Last year, China surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest online retail sales market by dollars spent and, in February, NetEase set up a base in Redwood Shores, Calif., to focus on mobile games for Western audiences.
NetEase is included in our Highest-Rated Stocks Heat Map as a Buy.
Mike Burnick, Weiss Stock Ratings Heat Maps, published by Money and Markets, a Division of Weiss Research, Inc.,
www.weissresearchissues.com/weiss-stock-ratings-heat-maps, 1-800-291-8545, May 14, 2015