Key highlights from BABA — As highlighted in our latest FY3Q26 preview; 1) macro and consumption willingness turned softer than expected in CY4Q25 which weighed on GMV growth; together with high base/lapse of 0.6% fee/QZT benefit, it has put pressure to CMR growth and EBITA; 2) mgmt reiterated strategic investment commitment in food delivery/quick commerce and target to further increase volume and GMV market share in CY2026 with focus on growing higher AOV orders; 3) BABA commented demand for cloud infrastr ...

SANYA, China, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hainan (Sanya) Marathon, held over the last weekend of 2025, marked the inaugural Class A-certified event sanctioned by the China Athletics Association (CAA) since the commencement of operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (Hainan FTP) under its independent customs and trade regulations. Hainan FTP's advantages in easier visa access, air connectivity, duty-free trade, and international mobility were reflected in strong participation and on-the-ground activit ...

Ac t i o n | 08 Jan 2026 09:37:26 ET │ 26 pages Alibaba Group Holding FY3Q26 Preview: Softer Macro & High Base for CMR; Cloud Intact CITI'S TAKE As highlighted in our JD and VIPS notes, following soft Nov retail sales and our expectation of Dec sales could be further weakening from Nov, we now expect BABA's FY3Q26 GMV and CMR to be lower than our previous forecast. We now model CMR to +2.7% yoy reflecting slower GMV and lapse of 0.6% fee and AI tool Quanzhantui benefit. While UE loss from Shangou improved s ...

China rolled out sweeping new rules on Wednesday to rein in aggressive competition in e-commerce, banning major platforms such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE:BABA) from forcing online merchants into promotions or deep discounts. The regulations, which take effect in February, follow repeated warnings from Beijing to Alibaba, JD.com Inc. (NASDAQ:JD), and Meituan (OTC:MPNGY) to stop pressuring sellers with pricing tactics that regulators say disrupt market order. Authorities also issued separate rule ...

Core Viewpoint - Alibaba and Tencent are two major Chinese tech companies with distinct business models and growth trajectories, facing challenges from regulatory scrutiny and market competition, making their long-term investment reliability a subject of debate [1][2]. Alibaba - Alibaba's revenue primarily comes from its two main marketplaces, Taobao and Tmall, with a smaller portion from its cloud infrastructure business, which has lower margins [4]. - Over the past five years, Alibaba's stock has declined by nearly 40%, attributed to cooling economic growth, antitrust scrutiny, and trade tensions [2]. - Analysts project Alibaba's revenue and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% and 11%, respectively, from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028, indicating a stabilization phase rather than high growth [7]. - The company is expected to leverage AI-driven recommendations and logistics upgrades to stabilize its core businesses while expanding its international marketplaces [7]. Tencent - Tencent's primary growth driver is WeChat, a super app with over 1.41 billion monthly active users, alongside its video game publishing business [8]. - Tencent's stock has seen a modest increase of 6% over the past five years, facing challenges from competition and regulatory pressures in the gaming sector [2][10]. - Analysts forecast Tencent's revenue and EPS to grow at a CAGR of 11% and 15%, respectively, from 2024 to 2027, supported by the integration of AI into its services and expansion into fintech and business services [12]. - The company is diversifying its revenue streams by enhancing its fintech services and expanding its overseas gaming business to mitigate reliance on the Chinese market [11]. Investment Comparison - Alibaba is trading at 17 times its next year's earnings, while Tencent is at 20 times, with Alibaba appearing cheaper but growing at a slower rate [13]. - Tencent is viewed as a more stable growth option due to the irreplaceable nature of WeChat for its users, despite facing competition in advertising and gaming [13][14]. - Both companies could attract more investors if U.S.-China trade tensions ease, but Tencent's growth strategies seem more robust compared to Alibaba's [14].

Key Points Alibaba has invested more than $17 billion over the past year in AI and cloud infrastructure over the past year. Alibaba's AI-related product revenue has delivered growth north of 100% for nine consecutive quarters. Its cash cow e-commerce business is financing Alibaba's AI future, and you can buy the stock at a forward earnings multiple in the teens. 10 stocks we like better than Alibaba Group › There's an argument to be made that many artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are bargains ...

Key Points Alibaba's e-commerce business allows it to self-finance growth initiatives that may take years to bear fruit. Despite operating several money-losing ventures, Alibaba trades at an earnings multiple discount to the general market. Some of those bets -- like AI cloud hosting -- have already turned the corner of profitability. 10 stocks we like better than Alibaba Group › Imagine being able to attempt challenging aerial feats, knowing that you have the mother of all safety nets waiting f ...

Key Takeaways Shopee's GMV climbed over 28% year over year to $32.2B in Q3 2025.Sea Limited relied on shipping subsidies to drive orders, pushing the cost of services up 38.8%.Adjusted EBITDA margin stayed thin at 0.6% amid ongoing shipping and fulfillment pressure.Sea Limited’s (SE) heavy reliance on shipping subsidies has been a key catalyst behind Shopee’s strong GMV expansion, but it also raises concerns about how sustainable that momentum is. In the third quarter of 2025, Shopee delivered strong growth ...

Core Insights - Alibaba Group did not experience a dramatic comeback in 2025 but shifted its narrative towards long-term growth strategies [1] - The company clarified its priorities by focusing on cloud and artificial intelligence, stabilizing its core e-commerce business, and repositioning itself as a broader technology and AI platform [2] Cloud and AI as Growth Engines - Alibaba Cloud emerged as the primary growth engine, with a reported cloud revenue growth of 34% year over year in the September 2025 quarter, driven by AI demand [4] - AI-related cloud revenue continued to grow at triple-digit rates, confirming the monetization of Alibaba's cloud business [5] - Alibaba now serves as a core infrastructure provider for AI adoption in China, with its cloud platform resembling the roles of Amazon's AWS and Microsoft's Azure [6][7] E-commerce Stabilization - The core e-commerce business showed signs of stabilization, with customer management revenue returning to 10% growth in the half year ended September 30, 2025 [9] - Investors began viewing Alibaba's e-commerce as a mature foundation that supports investment in newer growth areas, rather than a declining asset [10][11] Strategic Repositioning - Alibaba is redefining itself as a technology and AI platform, emphasizing its role in cloud and AI services rather than solely as an e-commerce leader [12][14] - This strategic shift expands Alibaba's growth opportunities, moving beyond the natural limits of a commerce-only model [15] Investor Implications - The developments in 2025 provided coherence in Alibaba's growth narrative, with cloud and AI driving growth while e-commerce offers stability [16] - The company is seen as laying the groundwork for a more durable recovery, marking 2025 as a reset year rather than a comeback year [17]

Alibaba spent 2025 resetting its strategy. In 2026, it needs to prove that the reset works.Alibaba Group (BABA 0.41%) ended 2025 in a much stronger position than it began. Its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) segments gained real momentum, e-commerce stabilized after years of pressure, and the company clarified its ambition to become a broader technology and AI platform rather than just a commerce giant.But 2025 was a reset year, not a confirmation year. For long-term investors, the real test begins i ...