WhiteCat on road to delisting

SHANGHAI: After two consecutive years of losses, Shanghai WhiteCat Shareholding Co Ltd, maker of a wide range of household goods, is sliding down the slippery road to de-listing from the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Although the company's products have lost their competitive edge against numerous foreign brands and its stocks are being shunned by investors, the demise of the "white cat" has touched a chord in the hearts of even the most hard-nosed punters, who have lingering childhood memories of seeing their mothers washing dishes after dinner with detergent from bottles emblazoned with the head of a wide-eyed feline.

"We may not love the company, but we still love the brand," said Fang Lei, analyst with Industrial Securities. He and others agreed that there was nothing wrong with the "white cat" brand, which has remained one of the most well known domestic trademarks, especially in Shanghai, its home turf.