TikTok is one of the top social networking apps, and it continues to gain share after surpassing $SNAP.US$ and $TWTR.US$.
The social networking app surpassed those competitors in 2020 and grew even larger in 2021, cementing itself as the No. 3 worldwide social platform behind $Meta Platforms.US$'s Facebook and Instagram, according to the inaugural forecast on TikTok users worldwide by Insider Intelligence.
As predicted by Insider Intelligence, there will be 755.0 million monthly TikTok users in 2022. This number grew 59.8% in 2020 and will increase an additional 40.8% in 2021. While that growth will slow, it will remain high at 15.1% in 2022.
TikTok is also gaining share of overall social network users. In 2022, its share will surpass 20% for the first time and approach one-quarter by 2024.
The rise of TikTok is especially challenging for Snapchat, with which it competes head-to-head for the youth audience. Although TikTok does not share much similarity to Twitter, its massive size relative to the more–established platform is a clear reflection of the addictive nature of TikTok's content.”
--- said Debra Aho Williamson, Insider Intelligence principal analyst.
Are you a TikTok user? Do you think TikTok will grow to the wrold's No.1?
Source: Insider Intelligence

Asian stocks set to advance amid dip in dollar
Asian stocks looked set to rise Thursday after U.S. shares rallied amid speculation that the economic recovery will weather temporary disruption from the omicron virus strain outbreak.
Futures for Japan and Hong Kong climbed. Australia rose and U.S. futures edged higher. The $.SPX.US$ is once again closing in on its record high, with sentiment aided by rising consumer confidence and home sales.
Europe's energy crisis is taking its toll on industrial giants
This year's energy crunch is so severe that gas prices surged more than 800%, while power costs jumped some 500%. And with the coldest months of the winter still ahead and Russia curbing gas supplies, there's no relief in sight.
The surge is exposing the region's biggest gas and power consumers to heavy losses, forcing industrial giants to cut production and threatening the economic recovery.
Options trading activity hits record powered by retail investors, but most are playing a losing game
A record of 39 million options contracts have traded daily on average this year, rising 35% from 2020. Retail investors now account for more than 25% of this trading activity. However, the majority of these small-time traders are buying the most basic call and put options, which have a much lower probability of profit compared with advanced strategies like options spreads.
"Everybody in the business knows that if you're only buying out-the-money calls, then you're likely going to lose money over time," said John Foley, CEO of Options AI.
FDA authorizes Pfizer's Covid treatment pill, the first oral antiviral drug cleared during the pandemic
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization Wednesday to $PFE.US$'s Covid treatment pill, a major milestone that promises to revolutionize the fight against the virus.
The medication, which is recommended for people at a high risk of developing severe Covid-19, could be available to patients as early as this weekend.
Musk's 10% stake sale removes overhang, fueling Tesla rally
$TSLA.US$ rose after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said he's sold enough stock to make his total sales about 10%, removing a key overhang on its shares.
The electric-vehicle maker closed 7.5% higher, propelling its market value back above $1 trillion on Wednesday. Musk sold about $854 million worth of shares, according to the latest filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.
Elon Musk: My wealth 'isn't some deep mystery.' My taxes are super simple
Musk’s comments were made in an interview with conservative satire site The Babylon Bee and follow comments from Sen. Elizabeth Warren earlier this month that suggested he wasn't paying taxes. The world's richest person said his wealth is fully transparent and isn't stashed in any offshore accounts or special tax vehicles to lower his obligations.
BAD ETF arrives for bets on stocks that markets may be shunning
In an ESG-obsessed investing world, BAD to capture areas of growth the market may be shunning most. The ETF will track companies that make most of their cash from selling alcohol or cannabis, casinos or gaming, and developing pharmaceutical products.
"We don't think social stigma should be a primary factor when it comes to deciding what's a good investment," said Tommy Mancuso, president and founder of the BAD Investment Company, which owns the EQM BAD Index that BAD will track.
Glenn Youngkin's win in Virginia stokes political dreams on Wall Street
The head of the world's largest hedge fund is eyeing one of Pennsylvania's Senate seats. Private-equity executives are weighing congressional runs in New Jersey and Wyoming. Over a recent dinner with Nikki Haley, a Texas investor gamed out a political future that could include a run for senator.
More than a decade after the 2008 crisis cast financiers as national villains and obstructed their glide path to Washington, the political calculus has flipped once again.
Source: Bloomberg, CNBC, WSJ

$PING AN.HK$
Daily chart actually looking gd. Looks like a base had been formed

My youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAPWOEQKCpCWmzKkdo7v-iw
Did the value investors come in to buy the dip for companies like Xiaomi? Xiaomi at one point this morning hit 17.5 HKD, which is only 0.5 HKD above its IPO price of 17 HKD. I just recalled the recent live event hosted by Lei Jun, Xiaomi's cofounder, who said that he aimed to have Xiaomi investors to earn at least 100% based on their IPO price. That was being mentioned on 2Q2021 EARNING CONFERENCE, but since then Xiaomi's price has fallen for close to 4 months from 28.6 HKD all the way to a low of 17.5 HKD this morning.
So what was the reason for the rise today? Lenovo too also had a remarkable jump of around 5%... No specific reason or intentional efforts by me to search for the reason for the rise today.. It could be a normal rebound after a sharp fall by Xiaomi and Lenovo yesterday.
Or did the Chinese authorities finally see through the intention of the shortsellers and come in to support their tech stocks (aka hard tech companies here) to at least bring back some confidence? This I wouldnt know exactly but to me, shortselling Xiaomi today is going against a strong train today... at least this is for the day today..
Also, I would have to mention that people have to stop attaching the 8 HKD price tag that Xiaomi had gotten during the COVID march 2020 time date... Why? Xiaomi has gained further strength since then and is a much bigger company within these 2 years timeframe...
While I certainly do not know where is the bottom, trying to aim a bottom price to make purchase would not be a good strategy for me.. I as usual have bought in small volume whenever the price turns even more attractive.. Will Omicron kill consumption? It may damp interest for consuming for maybe awhile but it cannot damp thirst for spending in the long run.
As always, this should not be construed as any investment or trading advice.
$Hang Seng Index.HK$ $Lenovo.HK$ $XIAOMI-W.HK$ $KINGDEE INT'L.HK$ $MPNGF.US$ $MEITUAN-W.HK$ $PDD.US$ $JD-SW.HK$

The Hong Kong stock market has pulled back obviously in 2021, with the HSI currently down over 14% cumulatively, underperforming major global stock indices, so should investors be optimistic next year?
With many institutions releasing their 2022 outlooks, the voices favouring the performance of Chinese assets are getting stronger, including bullish views on Hong Kong stocks, and a number of institutions give optimistic forecasts for the HSI's point next year.
Overall, these institutional investors generally believe that the Hong Kong stock market has been digested most risk after continued adjustments and that the current valuation is reasonable as well as attractive.
$Hang Seng Index.HK$ $Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.HK$ $Hang Seng TECH Index.HK$ $TENCENT.HK$ $MEITUAN-W.HK$ $HKEX.HK$ $BYD COMPANY.HK$

Bing China has been required by the relevant government agency to suspend the search auto-correction feature in mainland China for 30 days under PRC laws, says on Bing's website.
Microsoft Bing (Bing): According to the laws of the People's Republic of China, Bing suspended the “search automatic suggestions” function in mainland China for 30 days.
Most netizens reported that they were unable to open the Microsoft Bing search website within China.
$MSFT.US$ $BIDU.US$ $BIDU-SW.HK$
$GOOG.US$