BABA(HK:09988)2025-02-20 10:43Revenue Performance - Revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 280.15 billion (USD 38.38 billion), representing an 8% year-over-year growth[6]. - Customer management revenue for Taobao Group grew by 9% year-over-year to RMB 100.79 billion (USD 13.81 billion), driven by online GMV growth and an increase in take rate[8]. - AIDC revenue increased by 32% year-over-year to RMB 37.76 billion (USD 5.17 billion), primarily due to strong performance in cross-border business[9]. - Cloud Intelligence Group revenue was RMB 31.74 billion (USD 4.35 billion), reflecting a 13% year-over-year growth[10]. - The overall revenue for the quarter, excluding income from Alibaba's consolidated businesses, achieved a double-digit year-over-year growth of 11%, primarily driven by the double-digit growth in public cloud business revenue, including an increase in AI-related product adoption[12]. - Revenue from the China retail business was RMB 129,516 million (USD 17,743 million), a 5% increase compared to RMB 123,762 million in the same period last year[29]. - The international retail business generated revenue of RMB 31,553 million (USD 4,323 million), marking a significant 36% increase from RMB 23,260 million in the previous year[35]. - The Local Life Group reported a revenue increase of 12% year-over-year to RMB 16.988 billion (USD 2.327 billion), driven by overall order growth from Amap and Ele.me, as well as increased revenue from marketing services[15]. - Total revenue for the company reached RMB 280,154 million (USD 38,381 million), representing an 8% year-over-year increase[24]. - Revenue from the China wholesale business increased by 24% to RMB 6,575 million (USD 901 million) from RMB 5,308 million year-over-year[32]. - The revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 5,438 million (USD 745 million), an increase of 8% compared to RMB 5,040 million in the same period of 2023[44]. - The revenue for all other segments for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 53,102 million (USD 7,275 million), a 13% increase from RMB 47,023 million in the same period of 2023[46]. - Total revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 759,893 million, a 6% increase from RMB 719,294 million in the same period of 2023[105]. - The international retail business segment saw a revenue increase of 36% year-over-year, reaching RMB 80,862 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2024[105]. - The cloud intelligence group reported a 9% increase in revenue, totaling RMB 87,901 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2024[105]. Profitability Metrics - Operating profit increased by 83% year-over-year to RMB 41.21 billion (USD 5.65 billion), primarily due to a decrease in intangible asset impairment and an increase in adjusted EBITA[6]. - Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB 48.95 billion (USD 6.70 billion), with a year-over-year increase of 333%[6]. - Operating profit for the quarter increased by 83% year-over-year to RMB 41.205 billion (USD 5.645 billion), with an operating margin rising from 9% to 15%[20]. - Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders surged by 239% year-over-year to RMB 48.945 billion (USD 6.705 billion)[20]. - Adjusted EBITA for the company was RMB 54,853 million (USD 7,515 million), reflecting a 4% year-over-year growth[27]. - The adjusted EBITA for the cloud intelligence group was RMB 3,138 million (USD 430 million), a 33% increase compared to RMB 2,364 million in the previous year[39]. - The adjusted EBITA for the local life group improved to a loss of RMB 596 million (USD 82 million), significantly better than the loss of RMB 2,068 million in the same period last year[43]. - The adjusted EBITA for the international digital commerce group was a loss of RMB 4,952 million (USD 678 million), widening from a loss of RMB 3,146 million in the previous year due to increased investments[37]. - The company reported a consolidated operating profit of RMB 112,440 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2024, a 14% increase from RMB 98,585 million in the same period of 2023[108]. - The adjusted EBITA% showed a negative growth rate due to an increase in losses year-over-year[109]. - The adjusted EBITA% loss narrowed, indicating a positive growth rate in comparison to the previous year[109]. Cash Flow and Investments - Free cash flow decreased by 31% year-over-year to RMB 39.02 billion (USD 5.35 billion), mainly due to increased spending on cloud infrastructure[7]. - Net cash flow from operating activities for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 70,915 million (USD 9,715 million), a 10% increase from RMB 64,716 million in 2023, while free cash flow decreased by 31% to RMB 39,020 million (USD 5,346 million)[71]. - The net cash flow used in investing activities for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 111,003 million (USD 15,207 million), primarily reflecting an increase in short-term investments of RMB 79,819 million (USD 10,935 million) and capital expenditures of RMB 31,775 million (USD 4,353 million)[72]. - The net cash flow generated from financing activities for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 14,251 million (USD 1,952 million), mainly reflecting net proceeds from the issuance of unsecured senior notes of RMB 36,047 million (USD 4,938 million), offset by cash payments for the repayment of unsecured senior notes of RMB 16,220 million (USD 2,222 million) and cash used for share repurchases of RMB 9,189 million (USD 1,259 million)[74]. - Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and other financial investments amounted to RMB 610,041 million (USD 83,575 million) as of December 31, 2024, down from RMB 617,230 million in March 2024, primarily due to cash expenditures for share repurchases and dividends[70]. - Cash and cash equivalents decreased to RMB 205,966 million as of December 31, 2024, from RMB 294,929 million at the beginning of the period, a decline of 30.1%[94]. - Free cash flow for the nine months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 70,127 million, a significant decrease of 50% from RMB 140,849 million in the same period of 2023[103]. Shareholder Returns and Buybacks - The company repurchased a total of 119 million shares for a total price of USD 1.3 billion, representing a 0.6% net decrease in shares outstanding compared to September 30, 2024[18]. - The company has a remaining buyback capacity of USD 20.7 billion under its authorized share repurchase program, valid until March 2027[18]. Employee and Corporate Strategy - As of December 31, 2024, the total number of employees was 194,320, down from 197,991 as of September 30, 2024[75]. - The company plans to continue focusing on e-commerce and cloud computing strategies to drive long-term growth[4]. - The company aims to build future business infrastructure and envisions a long-term presence, aspiring to be a good company for 102 years[79]. Financial Reporting and Metrics - The company emphasizes the importance of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITA, and non-GAAP net profit as key indicators to identify fundamental business trends and provide practical information regarding business performance[83]. - Non-GAAP financial metrics should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for GAAP measures, as they may not have standard meanings under GAAP[84]. - The financial data presented includes conversions of RMB amounts to USD and HKD for reader convenience, using specific exchange rates as of December 31, 2024[80]. - The company warns that forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those projected[81]. Impairments and Expenses - The impairment of intangible assets for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was RMB 2,062 million (USD 282 million), a significant decrease of 86% from RMB 14,601 million in the same period of 2023[56]. - The goodwill impairment for the same period was RMB 6,171 million (USD 845 million), a decrease of 27% from RMB 8,490 million in the same period of 2023[56]. - Operating costs for the three months ended December 31, 2024, were RMB 162,524 million (USD 22,266 million), accounting for 58.0% of revenue, down from 60.0% in the same period of 2023[50]. - Product development expenses for the same period were RMB 14,662 million (USD 2,009 million), maintaining a ratio of 5.2% of revenue, unchanged from the same period in 2023[51]. - Sales and marketing expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2024, were RMB 42,675 million (USD 5,846 million), representing 15.2% of revenue, up from 13.0% in the same period of 2023[51]. - General and administrative expenses for the same period were RMB 10,851 million (USD 1,487 million), accounting for 3.9% of revenue, down from 4.3% in the same period of 2023[52].