Alibaba's cloud business revenue soars 34% driven by AI boom

Core Insights - Alibaba Group's cloud business revenue surged by 34% in the latest quarter, driven by the growth in artificial intelligence [1][3] - Overall revenue for the July-September quarter increased by only 5% year-on-year to 247.8 billion yuan ($35 billion), while profit fell by 52% due to intense price competition in the e-commerce sector [2] - The company plans to invest at least 380 billion yuan ($53 billion) over three years to enhance its cloud computing and AI infrastructure, with potential for increased investment to meet rising AI demand [3][4] Financial Performance - Alibaba's total revenue for the quarter was 247.8 billion yuan ($35 billion), reflecting a 5% year-on-year increase [2] - The company's profit experienced a significant decline of 52% compared to the previous year [2] - The cloud revenue growth of 34% outpaced the 26% increase seen in the previous quarter [3] Market Position and Competitors - Alibaba's upgraded AI chatbot Qwen achieved 10 million downloads within the first week of its public launch, indicating strong market interest [4] - Competitor JD.com reported a 55% net profit drop in the same quarter, highlighting the competitive pressures in the e-commerce landscape [2] - Tencent reported a 15% year-on-year revenue increase, while Baidu experienced a 7% revenue decline, showcasing mixed results among Chinese tech firms [6] Stock Performance - Alibaba's shares rose by 2% on Tuesday and 2.4% before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange, with a year-to-date increase of over 90% driven by optimism regarding AI advancements [5]