News that the company is developing a new AI chip also excited investors.Alibaba (BABA 2.69%) shares jumped after the Chinese company continued to show signs of a turnaround, led by strong growth in its e-commerce and cloud computing segments. The stock is now up nearly 60% on the year, as of this writing.Let's take a closer look at Alibaba's most recent earnings and future prospects to see if the stock can continue its momentum. AI excitementAlibaba's cloud computing business grabbed headlines, as revenue ...

Key Takeaways Alibaba posted Q1 revenues of $34.6B, up 2% year over year and slightly above consensus estimates.Earnings fell 10% Y/Y and missed estimates as strategic spending cut into profitability.Earnings fell 10% Y/Y and missed estimates as strategic spending cut into profitability.Alibaba (BABA) reported non-GAAP earnings of $2.06 per ADS in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.29%. In domestic currency, the company reported earnings of RMB 14.75, down 10% y ...

Core Viewpoint - Both Alibaba and Amazon are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance growth in their cloud computing and e-commerce sectors, with Alibaba focusing on a turnaround strategy and Amazon emphasizing operational efficiency [1]. Alibaba - Alibaba is investing heavily in its core e-commerce platforms, Tmall and Taobao, to boost gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth, resulting in a 9% year-over-year increase in e-commerce revenue and a 12% rise in third-party revenue [3]. - The Cloud Intelligence segment of Alibaba saw an 18% year-over-year revenue increase, with AI-related revenue more than doubling for the seventh consecutive quarter, and adjusted EBITA surged by 69% [4]. - Alibaba's AI initiatives are driven by its Qwen series of models, including the latest Qwen3, which combines traditional large language model capabilities with advanced reasoning [5]. - The international commerce segment (AIDC), which includes AliExpress and Trendyol, grew revenue by 22% last quarter, with expectations of profitability within the next year [6]. - Alibaba's stock trades at approximately 12 times forward earnings, with nearly $20 billion in net cash and $57 billion in equity investments, indicating significant upside potential if sentiment around Chinese equities improves [7]. Amazon - Amazon is characterized by relentless operational execution, with its market cap at $2 trillion, continuously finding ways to increase revenue and margins [8]. - Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains a key growth driver, with revenue increasing by 17% year-over-year to $29.3 billion, and operating income growing by 23%, largely due to AI demand [9]. - AI is being integrated across Amazon's ecosystem, enhancing efficiencies in warehouses, logistics, and e-commerce, leading to improved operating leverage [10][11]. - Amazon's North American revenue rose 8% in Q1, with operating income increasing by 16%, indicating strong performance as AI initiatives are still in early stages [11]. - Amazon trades at a forward P/E of 34.5 times, which is significantly higher than Alibaba's valuation [11]. Investment Perspective - Alibaba presents more potential upside due to its successful turnaround in e-commerce, leadership in AI within China, and growth prospects in the AIDC business, all while trading at a discount to Amazon [12]. - Amazon is viewed as the safer investment option, with a proven track record of operational success and willingness to invest for long-term gains, despite facing typical retail risks [13]. - For investors seeking higher potential returns, Alibaba is recommended, while Amazon offers a more stable risk-reward profile [14].

Core Viewpoint - Alibaba's stock has had a strong start to 2025, up approximately 45% year-to-date, despite a disappointing fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report [1] E-commerce Business - Alibaba's e-commerce segment, which includes Tmall and Taobao, is crucial to its operations and has shown signs of recovery after facing challenges from a weak Chinese economy and competition from Pinduoduo [4][5] - In fiscal 2025 Q4, e-commerce revenue grew 9% year-over-year to $14 billion, with a notable 12% growth in its third-party business [6] - The e-commerce segment's EBITA increased by 8% to $5.8 billion, indicating profitable growth, with strong new customer acquisition and a rise in orders [7] - The company is investing in "instant commerce" to deliver items within an hour, targeting a potential market of 1 billion consumers [8] Cloud Computing Segment - The cloud-computing segment experienced an 18% revenue growth in the quarter, reaching $4.2 billion, with AI products gaining broader adoption [9] - Adjusted EBITA for the cloud segment surged 69% to $333 million, reflecting strong operational leverage [9] Overall Financial Performance - Alibaba's total revenue increased by 7% to $32.6 billion, while adjusted EBITA rose 36% to $4.5 billion [11] - Adjusted earnings per American depositary share climbed 23% to $1.73, and operating cash flow increased by 18% to $3.8 billion [11] - Free cash flow saw a significant decline of 76% to $516 million due to heavy investments in data center infrastructure, but the company generated $10.2 billion in free cash flow for the fiscal year [11] Balance Sheet and Future Outlook - As of the end of the quarter, Alibaba had $51.6 billion in cash and short-term investments, $31.8 billion in debt, and $56.6 billion in equity and other investments [12] - The company is focused on turning its international commerce segment profitable, which could enhance overall profitability [10][14] - With a forward price-to-earnings ratio of around 12 times fiscal 2026 estimates, the stock is considered a good buying opportunity despite not being as cheap as in the previous year [15]

Core Insights - Alibaba, Tencent, and JD.com reported earnings reflecting improved Chinese consumer spending and the benefits of artificial intelligence in advertising [1] Group 1: Alibaba - Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall group sales rose by 9% year on year to 101.37 billion yuan ($13.97 billion) for the three months ended March 31, exceeding the predicted 97.94 billion yuan [2] - Marketing revenue for Alibaba grew 12% year on year to nearly $10 billion, aided by the use of AI tools to enhance marketing efficiency [16] - Despite positive sales figures, Alibaba's overall profit was about half of analysts' expectations, leading to a 7.6% drop in shares during U.S. trading [17] Group 2: JD.com - JD.com reported a 16.3% increase in revenue from its retail business to 263.85 billion yuan for the three months ended March 31, surpassing the predicted 226.84 billion yuan [8] - Sales in electronics and home appliances surged by 17% year on year, supported by China's trade-in subsidies [7] - JD's marketing revenues climbed by 15.7% to 22.32 billion yuan, partly due to AI tools enhancing ad conversion rates [13][14] Group 3: Tencent - Tencent's "fintech and business services" segment saw a 5% year-on-year revenue increase to 54.9 billion yuan in the first quarter [9] - Marketing services revenue for Tencent surged by 20% to 31.9 billion yuan, driven by strong advertiser demand for short videos and content on WeChat [10] - AI advancements have improved Tencent's click-through rates for ads to nearly 3%, a significant increase from historical rates of 0.1% for banner ads and around 1% for feed ads [11] Group 4: Market Context - The earnings reports reflect a period before the escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions in April, which introduced new tariffs [4] - A Morgan Stanley survey indicated consumer confidence fell to a 2.5-year low, with 44% of respondents concerned about job losses, impacting spending expectations [18] - Analysts predict that as trade tensions ease, consumption will rise, and related stimulus policies may focus on boosting spending in various sectors [5][20]