Core Insights - Alibaba's revenue for Q2 of fiscal year 2026 reached 247.8 billion RMB, a 5% year-on-year increase, surpassing market expectations of 245.2 billion RMB [1] - The company's operating profit significantly declined by 85% to 5.365 billion RMB, primarily due to heavy investments in instant retail, user experience upgrades, and advanced technology research [1][4] - Despite the profit decline, Alibaba Cloud's revenue grew by 34% to 39.824 billion RMB, marking a record high growth rate [2][4] Financial Performance - Alibaba's net cash flow from operating activities was 10.099 billion RMB, a 68% decrease compared to 31.438 billion RMB in the same period last year [2] - Free cash flow showed a net outflow of 21.840 billion RMB, contrasting with a net inflow of 13.735 billion RMB in the previous year, attributed to investments in instant retail and cloud infrastructure [2] - Capital expenditures for the quarter amounted to 31.5 billion RMB, with a total of approximately 120 billion RMB spent on AI and cloud infrastructure over the past four quarters [2] Business Segment Performance - Instant retail revenue surged by 60% to 22.906 billion RMB, while Alibaba's e-commerce customer management revenue increased by 10% [2][3] - The adjusted EBITA for the Chinese e-commerce group fell by 76% to 10.497 billion RMB, reflecting the impact of costs associated with instant retail and technology investments [3][4] - The adjusted EBITA for the cloud intelligence group grew by 35% to 3.604 billion RMB, indicating strong performance despite challenges in profitability [4] Strategic Outlook - The company is focusing on long-term investments in new business areas, which may lead to short-term fluctuations in profitability and free cash flow [4] - Alibaba's CFO indicated that the company is prioritizing future growth over immediate profit, suggesting a strategic shift towards sustaining long-term competitive advantages [4]