Alibaba Profits Go Up Despite Soft Sales

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba saw its net income soar 58% year-on-year in the September quarter, reaching $6.07 billion. This eye-popping growth, largely driven by gains in equity investments and reduced impairments, beat many analysts’ expectations. However, sluggish revenue growth of 5% reflected headwinds from China's weak economic climate. 

Despite these challenges, Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares climbed 3% in premarket trading, adding to their nearly 17% gain year-to-date. Investors were most pleased by robust performance in Alibaba’s core platforms, Taobao and Tmall Group, which achieved a modest but still encouraging 1% revenue increase. During China’s Singles’ Day shopping festival, these units reported strong gross merchandise volume growth and a record number of active buyers, signaling resilience in consumer sentiment.

Alibaba’s cloud business was another bright spot, with revenue rising 7% year-on-year, an improvement from 6% growth in the prior quarter. This overall growth reflects the company’s focus on AI-driven products, which delivered triple-digit growth. The division continues to position itself as a key profitability driver, recently signing a five-year deal with Indonesian tech giant GoTo and rolling out new AI tools for small businesses in Europe and the Americas.

While Beijing recently launched a massive stimulus package aiming to revitalize China’s economy, the broader retail environment remains fragile. Still, October retail sales grew 4.8% year-on-year, exceeding forecasts. For Alibaba, its outlook remains closely linked with China’s economic trajectory and regulatory landscape, but its ongoing innovations in AI and cloud technology suggest it is well-placed for future growth.