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"Investors had hoped to receive separate shares of the cloud business in hopes the segment could achieve a higher multiple in the public markets due to its growth potential." The company then appointed Eddie Wu, one of Alibaba Group's co-founders and long-time lieutenant of former chief Jack Ma, as both CEO of Alibaba and the cloud business. Instead the group would focus on growing the cloud business and providing investment for its AI drivers, he said. [1/2]3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Alibaba International Digital Commerce, a business that includes platforms such as Lazada and AliExpress, however reported a 53% rise in revenues, with retail revenue up 73% year-on-year.

Persons: Cainiao, Thomas Hayes, Alibaba's, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Wu, Alibaba Group's, Jack Ma, Zhang, Joseph Tsai, Tsai, Wu, Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Akash Sriram, Brenda Goh, Sam Holmes, Arun Koyyur, Jane Merriman Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba's, Investors, Analysts, Cloud Intelligence Group, REUTERS, Alibaba Group Holdings, PDD Holdings, Digital Commerce, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Hong Kong, Alibaba's U.S, Bengaluru, Shanghai

The drop, potentially its biggest one-day fall in more than a year, wiped about $20 billion off the Chinese tech giant's market value. It was the first market reaction in Asia since the stunning strategy reversal was announced late on Thursday. "The cancellation of a full spin-off of AliCloud is a negative surprise," said Nomura analyst Shi Jialong in a note. The company said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September. Reporting By Donny Kwok and Josh Ye in Hong Kong, Casey Hall and Gu Li in Shanghai; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Group's, Nomura, Shi Jialong, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Joseph Tsai, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Hong, Tencent Holdings, HK, UBS, Tiger Research, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, HK, Hong Kong, Asia, AliCloud, Washington, U.S, Hangzhou, Alibaba

Alibaba Group's Hong Kong shares closed down 10%, their biggest single-day drop in more than a year. Some analysts said keeping the cloud unit could assist Alibaba's AI push. But (it) also points to the increasing importance of retaining the cloud unit given the surging demand for AI computing in China," said US Tiger Research analyst Bo Pei. Alibaba reported second-quarter revenue of 224.79 billion yuan ($31.01 billion), in line with the 224.32 billion expected by analysts, LSEG data showed. The company also said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September.

Persons: Group's, Jon Withaar, Alibaba, Joseph Tsai, Aly, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Vey, Sern Ling, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Yelin, Ankur Banerjee, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: HK, Pictet Asset Management, Tencent Holdings, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, UBS, Tiger Research, Union Bancaire, Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Asia, U.S, Singapore, Washington, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Alibaba, Union, Yelin Mo, Beijing

☆ China's Alibaba to scrap cloud unit spinoff in response to US chip curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] 3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK), said on Thursday it will scrap the spin off of its cloud unit in response to export curbs by the United States on chips used in artificial intelligence applications. Its U.S.-listed shares fell about 5% in premarket trading after it also reported second-quarter revenue in line with market expectations. "The recent expansion of U.S. restrictions on export of advanced computing chips has created uncertainties for the prospects of Cloud Intelligence Group," Alibaba said. The e-commerce giant posted revenue of 224.79 billion yuan ($31.01 billion) in the quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of 224.32 billion yuan, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Pinduoduo, Eddie Wu, Alibaba Group's, Jack Ma, Daniel Zhang, Akash Sriram, Sam Holmes, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, HK, U.S, Cloud Intelligence Group, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ China's JD.com posts higher Q3 profit as supply snarls ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of China's e-commerce company JD.com is seen at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China, May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com reported quarterly revenue below estimates on Wednesday, but posted a surge in profit as supply chain problems eased. JD.com has fewer popular livestreamers than its competitors, such as Austin Li, who exclusively streams on Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) platform. The company reported net revenue of 247.7 billion yuan ($34.19 billion) for the third quarter, missing analysts' average estimate of 249.26 billion yuan according to LSEG data. But it posted net income attributable to shareholders of 7.94 billion yuan, up 33% from 5.96 billion yuan a year earlier.

Persons: Aly, JD.com, Xu Ran, Austin Li, Alibaba's Tmall, Arsheeya Bajwa, Akash Sriram, Sophie Yu, Varun, Kim Coghill Organizations: CES, REUTERS, JD Retail, HK, Citi, Daiwa, Jefferies, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: Asia, Shanghai, China, Bengaluru, Beijing

☆ Sea posts surprise loss on hefty e-commerce investments, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Singapore-based Sea (SE.N) reported a surprise third-quarter loss as the Southeast Asian tech giant prioritized growth over profits by pouring money into its e-commerce business, sending its shares more than 17% lower on Tuesday. The company also expects to boost investments, it said, ahead of the key holiday shopping season in the fourth quarter. Sea has spent heavily in what is called "e-commerce live streaming", where products are sold over live videos, a model popular in China. The company posted a loss of 26 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, ending its streak of three straight profitable quarters. However, a global economic slowdown hit e-commerce and digital entertainment, forcing Sea to undertake hefty cost cuts including laying off thousands of employees.

Persons: Alibaba Group's, ByteDance's, Forrest Li, Chavi Mehta, Devika Organizations: HK, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, Bengaluru

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Alibaba said on Wednesday it would open its artificial intelligence model Tongyi Qianwen to the public, in a sign it has gained Chinese regulatory approval to mass-market the model. He was replaced by newly installed Alibaba Group CEO, Eddie Wu. In an internal letter to Alibaba staff on Tuesday, Wu said that AI would be at the centre of Alibaba Group's future strategy. Alibaba first unveiled Tongyi Qianwen in April, saying at the time that the AI large language model, which is similar to ChatGPT, would be integrated into all business applications.

Persons: Aly, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Wu, Wu, Tongyi Qianwen, Casey Hall, Tom Hogue Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, Cloud Intelligence Division, Zhejiang University, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, United States, DingTalk, Alibaba

A man walks past a logo of Alibaba Group at its office building in Beijing, China August 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - New Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu has told staff the tech giant's two main strategic focuses going forward will be "user first" and "AI-driven", according to an internal letter reviewed by Reuters. The new CEO, one of Alibaba Group's founders and long-time lieutenant of former chief Jack Ma, is laying out his strategic priorities at a key moment for Alibaba, which is undergoing the biggest organisational restructure of its 24-year history. Late on Sunday Alibaba also announced that Wu would concurrently serve as CEO of its cloud computing unit, replacing Daniel Zhang. The cloud unit is Alibaba's second-biggest revenue source after domestic e-commerce and houses the group's generative artificial intelligence model, Tongyi Qianwen.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Eddie Wu, Wu, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, ByteDance's Douyin, Casey Hall, Gerry Doyle, Stephen Coates Organizations: Alibaba Group, REUTERS, Rights, Alibaba, Reuters, Cloud Intelligence Group, PDD Holdings, Huawei Technologies, Tencent Holdings, HK, Baidu, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China

REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) work communication and collaboration platform DingTalk will split from the company's cloud division, according to two sources close to the company. Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Business Group did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the matter. Though the Slack-like DingTalk will split structurally from Alibaba's Cloud Business Intelligence unit, the sources said it would continue to work closely with the cloud division technology-wise. The tech giant announced the split of its business in March and has said the cloud division was likely to IPO by May next year. Alibaba Group last week reported better than expected results for its first quarter, but sales for its Cloud Intelligence Business Group, a major growth driver outside of e-commerce, reported the smallest revenue growth among the group's business units of 4%.

Persons: Aly, Group's, DingTalk, Casey Hall, Himani Sarkar, Conor Humphries Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Alibaba Holding, Cloud Intelligence Business Group, Cloud Business Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China

☆ Alibaba unveils open-sourced AI model similar to Meta's Llama 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoHONG KONG, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group's (9988.HK), cloud computing unit released two open-sourced artificial intelligence (AI) models on Thursday in a bid to take on Meta Platform (META.O). The Hangzhou-based company said it will open-source two large language models (LLM), a type of AI model, named Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat on Thursday in a press release. Each model has 7 billion parameters, which is often used to measure the strength. This comes after Meta unveiled a similar open-sourced model named Llama 2 last month.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, HONG KONG, Josh Ye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Meta, Thomson Locations: HONG, Hangzhou

☆ Apple opens store on China's WeChat platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A man holds an iPhone 14 as Apple Inc's new models go on sale at an Apple store in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) - Tencent's (0700.HK) WeChat said on Tuesday that iPhone maker Apple (AAPL.O) had opened a store on its social media platform, marking an expansion of the U.S. firm's retail channels in the world's second largest economy. The announcement by WeChat, China's dominant messaging app which also provides e-commerce, livestreaming and payment services, said users would be able to buy Apple products including iPhones, iPads and Macs from the store. The move by Apple comes as Chinese consumers increasingly turn to social media platforms such as WeChat and ByteDance's Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, to shop. China's smartphone sales in the first quarter fell 5% year on year, marking the lowest first-quarter sales figure for the country since 2014, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

Persons: Thomas Peter, WeChat, Tencent, ByteDance's Douyin, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Jacqueline Wong, Jamie Freed Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, HK, Counterpoint Research, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

☆ Brazil offers tax advantages via e-commerce compliance program
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBRASILIA, June 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry announced on Friday an exemption from federal taxes on e-commerce purchases up to $50 for companies participating in a new compliance program by the tax revenue service. The program, starting Aug. 1, offers faster and cheaper customs treatment for e-commerce companies that voluntarily meet criteria set by the government, the ministry's statement said. Under the program, e-commerce companies must also inform consumers about the product's origin and the merchandise's total value, including federal and state taxes - procedures that are currently optional. The program will essentially relieve the revenue service of such tasks when e-commerce firms participate. The government had previously attempted to end exemptions on all shipments as some companies imported products as individuals to avoid higher rates.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba Group's, Marcela Ayres, Emma Rumney Organizations: REUTERS, Brazil's Finance, HK, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, AliExpress

☆ Brazil mulls 'digital tax' on shipments from e-commerce giants -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, April 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's finance minister said on Thursday the country would implement a new "digital tax" on shipments from e-commerce giants, after backtracking earlier this week from a decision to tax individual-to-individual shipments of up to $50. "We will follow the example of developed nations, a digital tax," Fernando Haddad told reporters. He had already announced the government would look for administrative means and implement heightened oversight to close a tax loophole that Asian e-commerce giants were seen taking advantage of. Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) AliExpress, Sea Ltd-owned (SE.N) Shopee and Shein were seen as the main targets of the measure. Haddad previously said AliExpress and Shopee had agreed with the tax proposal before the government reversed it.

☆ Brazil plans 'digital tax' on shipments from e-commerce giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, April 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's finance minister said on Thursday the country would implement a "digital tax" on shipments from e-commerce giants, after backtracking earlier this week from a decision to tax individual-to-individual shipments of up to $50. "We will follow the example of developed nations, a digital tax," Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters. "Consumers will be exempt from any tax collection when they make the purchase, companies will collect it without passing on any additional cost." The source emphasized that the tax in question already exists and will be collected electronically prior to the shipment of goods. Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) AliExpress, Sea Ltd-owned (SE.N) Shopee and Shein were seen as the main targets of the measure.

☆ Alibaba restructuring to enhance decision-making, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Trader works at the post where Alibaba is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidSHANGHAI/HONG KONG, March 30 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) restructuring will allow all its business units to become more agile and enhance faster decision-making and responses to market changes, the tech conglomerate's chief executive Daniel Zhang said on Thursday. The restructuring also opens up the possibility for each unit to raise funds through its own initial public offering (IPO). Some analysts say Alibaba is currently undervalued as a standalone conglomerate and a breakup would allow investors to value each business division independently. The restructuring could also better protect Alibaba shareholders from regulatory pressures, as penalties levied on one division in theory would not affect the operations of another, analysts says.

☆ Alibaba to decide on control over new business units after IPOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zhang's comments come two days after Alibaba announced its largest restructuring in the company's history, which will see it change into a holding company structure with six business units, each with their own boards and CEOs. The business units will have their own CEOs and boards, though Alibaba will retain seats on those boards in the short-term, Zhang added. Alibaba began laying the groundwork for the restructuring a few years ago, Zhang told investors during a conference call, adding the business units could pursue public listings on their own in the future. After these units go public, Alibaba "will continue to evaluate the strategic importance of these companies" and "will decide whether or not to continue to retain control," Alibaba CFO Toby Xu said on the call. Alibaba, however, will decide whether the group wants to keep strategic control of each unit after they go public, Xu said.

☆ Now's probably not the best time to invest in Alibaba, says Kingston Securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNow's probably not the best time to invest in Alibaba, says Kingston SecuritiesDickie Wong of the securities brokerage and research services company discusses what Alibaba Group's "biggest goal" is likely to be in the wake of its decision to split into six units.

☆ Alibaba's plan to split into 6 units is a 'good play' by Beijing and the company, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAlibaba's plan to split into 6 units is a 'good play' by Beijing and the company, analyst saysLenny Zephirin, CEO, director of research and senior analyst at The Zephirin Group, discusses Alibaba Group's decision to split into six units.

☆ Former PBOC official says China's digital yuan is little used - Caixin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - China's central-bank digital currency is little used, a former official of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on Wednesday, financial news outlet Caixin reported. "The cumulative circulation of the digital yuan in the two years of the trial has been only 100 billion yuan ($14 billion)," he said. Central bank digital currencies are digital tokens, similar to cryptocurrencies, issued by central banks. "What needs to change is the digital yuan acting only as a substitute for cash and only for consumption," Xie said. To address the problem, usage of the digital yuan could be expanded - for example, by letting individuals buy financial products with it, Xie said.

The report noted that potential disposals of non-core assets may include Fosun's stake in Cainiao. According to Refinitiv data, Fosun has agreed to sell or sold over $5 billion in assets this year. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Fosun has appointed Deutsche Bank to sell its stake in reinsurance company Peak Re. read moreIn 2013, Fosun had invested 500 million yuan as a co-founder of Cainiao, the logistics firm that underpins delivery for Alibaba's e-commerce marketplaces. Cainiao raked in 26 billion yuan in revenue in the six months ended September, up 19% year-on-year and accounting for 6% of Alibaba's total revenue.

☆ TSX falls as commodity stocks weigh
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ET (1522 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was down 130.67 points, or 0.65%, at 19,827.29, extending losses from the previous session. "I think they're still on track for another hike," said Greg Taylor, portfolio manager at Purpose Investments. IRPR#0BOCWATCHAmong stocks, TC Energy (TRP.TO) said that the weather-related issues that prompted it to halt deliveries through its Keystone oil pipeline have been resolved. Restaurant Brands International (QSR.TO) rose 1.3% after it said that its coffee chain brand Tim Hortons had forged a two-year partnership with Alibaba Group's grocery chain. Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's digital currency passes 100 bln yuan in spending - PBOC
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Transactions using China's digital yuan surpassed 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) as of Aug. 31, China's central bank said on Wednesday, as the country continues its roll-out of a central bank digital currency. The spending involved 360 million transactions in pilot areas in 15 provinces and municipalities, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said, adding that more than 5.6 million merchants could now accept payments with the digital currency. China is at the fore of a global race to develop central bank digital currencies, although adoption is still in the early stages. Transactions using e-CNY rose from 87.6 billion yuan by the end of 2021, the PBOC said. The central bank also took part in the cross-border multiple Central Bank Digital Currency (mCBDC) Bridge trial developed by the Bank of International Settlements and conducted tests to connect with Hong Kong's local digital payment system, it said.

☆ China's livestreaming sales king returns to screens after long absence
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationBEIJING, Sept 20 (Reuters) - China's top livestreaming sales influencer Li Jiaqi reappeared on screens on Tuesday, ending an over three-month-long absence that began after he was cut off abruptly, mid-show, on the eve of the anniversary of the country's Tiananmen Square crackdown. Li's reappearance on his livestreaming channel on Tuesday evening for roughly two hours occurred with little advance notice, with the news spreading by word of mouth. In the first hour, Taobao users paid nearly 30 million visits to his channel. He gave no explanation for his absence and his studio did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Analysts say their disappearance from screens have hurt online sales.

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