Core Viewpoint - Alibaba's affiliate, Hangzhou Haoyue, plans to reduce its stake in ST Yigou (Suning.com), indicating a strategic shift in its investment approach [1][6] Group 1: Shareholding and Reduction Plans - Hangzhou Haoyue, the largest shareholder of ST Yigou, intends to reduce its holdings by up to 263 million shares, representing approximately 2.85% of the total share capital [1] - The reduction is based on Hangzhou Haoyue's "own business arrangements" and will occur within three months after the pre-disclosure announcement [1] - As of September 23, ST Yigou's closing price was 1.87 yuan per share, suggesting that the potential proceeds from the reduction could amount to around 490 million yuan [1] Group 2: Historical Context and Financial Performance - ST Yigou, originally founded as Suning Electric in 1990, was a leading player in China's home appliance retail sector, achieving revenue of 498.97 billion yuan by 2008 [3] - The partnership between ST Yigou and Alibaba began in 2015, with Alibaba investing approximately 28.3 billion yuan for a 19.99% stake [3][4] - Despite the partnership, Alibaba has not sold any of its ST Yigou shares, while ST Yigou has previously sold shares in Alibaba, raising over 20 billion yuan [6] Group 3: Current Shareholding Structure - Following the planned reduction, Hangzhou Haoyue's stake will decrease to 17.24%, potentially making it less than the personal stake of Zhang Jindong, the founder of ST Yigou [7] - Currently, ST Yigou lacks a controlling shareholder, with the board comprising members from various stakeholders, including Alibaba and local state-owned enterprises [6] Group 4: Broader Implications and Trends - The reduction by Hangzhou Haoyue is part of Alibaba's broader strategy to divest from its retail investments, as seen in previous sales of stakes in other companies [7][8] - In 2024, Alibaba sold its entire stake in Intime Retail for 7.4 billion yuan and also divested from other retail entities, indicating a systematic retreat from the retail sector [7]
入股十年,阿里巴巴首次减持苏宁易购