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☆ Jack Ma is praising Alibaba. Wall Street is more cautious
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Alibaba shares got a boost last week from news founder Jack Ma is pleased with the company's turnaround so far. They cut their price target to $100 a share, down from $105 previously, while maintaining an overweight rating. Eddie Wu became CEO of Alibaba in September, and is also acting head of the cloud business. They cut their price target by $1 to $105 a share and maintained their buy rating. They have a price target of $85, and, in contrast to the many buy ratings, rate the stock equal weight.

Persons: Jack Ma, Joe Tsai, Ma, Alex Yao, Tsai, Nicolai Tangen, We've, Eddie Wu, Trudy Dai, Daniel Zhang, Kenneth Fong, Douyin, Nomura, Doubao, Ernie, Qianwen, monetization, Morgan Stanley, Gary Yu, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Arjun Kharpal Organizations: CNBC, Wall Street, JPMorgan, Norges Bank Investment, Alibaba, Commerce, UBS, PDD Holdings, Norges Bank Investment Management Locations: China, U.S, Taobao, BABA

☆ Jack Ma sends longest memo to Alibaba employees in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Jack Ma has some words of encouragement for Alibaba Group employees. AdvertisementAlibaba employees received a rare memo from cofounder Jack Ma, and the message was motivational. Ma spent years out of the public eye but resurfaced with some appearances and quiet business moves in 2023. His most recent venture into the spotlight is a long message shared to employees on an internal Alibaba forum, Reuters reported. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Jack Ma, —, Ma, Eddie Wu, Joe Tsai Organizations: Alibaba Group, Service, Reuters, Business

☆ Alibaba bets on overseas e-commerce unit amid sluggish growth in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesChinese tech giant Alibaba Group is betting on its overseas businesses while domestic consumption growth remains sluggish. James Dong, CEO of Southeast Asian e-commerce giant Lazada Group, was named as Daraz's acting CEO. Dong took over as Lazada Group CEO from Chun Li in June 2022, after running the company's Thailand and Vietnam operations. Intense competitionThe e-commerce business that once propelled Alibaba to success has run into challenges with upstart competitors such as PDD, while consumption growth in China remains sluggish. Alibaba posted 9% year-on-year revenue growth in the third quarter to about $31 billion.

Persons: Eddie Wu, Yinglan Tan, AliExpress, Bjarke Mikkelsen, Jan, James Dong, Lazada, Tan, Alibaba, Zhang, Dong, Chun Li, Li, Pierre, Lucy Peng, PDD Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, Digital Commerce, Tmall, Tmall Group, Alibaba, Ventures, Lazada, CNBC, Ventures Partners, Alibaba Group, PDD Holdings, Hong Kong, HK Locations: Huangpu District, Shanghai, Taobao, monetization, Alibaba, Pakistan, Asia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong

☆ Alibaba shares jump 4% in premarket trade after it hikes share buyback program by $25 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Alibaba jumped in premarket trade, as the company missed market expectations for revenue in the December quarter, but announced it is increasing the size of its share buyback program by $25 billion. U.S.-listed shares in the Chinese e-commerce giant were more than 4% higher in pre-market trade. Here's how Alibaba did in its fiscal third quarter, compared to LSEG estimates:Revenue: 260.35 billion Chinese yuan ($36.6 billion) versus 262.07 billion yuan expected. On top of its structural changes, Alibaba also scrapped the hotly-anticipated spinoff of its cloud computing business last year. More recently, two of Alibaba's co-founders, Jack Ma and Joe Tsai, in January bought shares worth around $200 million in the Chinese e-commerce giant.

Persons: Alibaba, Pinduoduo, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's, Jack Ma, Joe Tsai, Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Revenue, Alibaba Locations: Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China, premarket, U.S, Beijing

☆ Alibaba, ASML and more: Jefferies reveals its 'highest-conviction' stocks to buy — and one has 118% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investment bank Jefferies has revealed its top stock picks that are exposed to major themes like innovation, new products, and emerging markets. The investment bank forecasts Prudential shares will rise 118% to 18,000 British pence over the next 12 months. The investment bank expects Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba to rise to 128 Hong Kong dollars ($17), which implies an 84% upside potential. The investment bank expects shares to rise 57% over the next 12 months. The investment bank believes ASML's current valuation of 33 times forward earnings is too low since it forecasts 49% earnings growth over the next two years.

Persons: Jefferies, Prudential Jefferies, Prudential's, Anil Wadhwani, Eddie Wu, Wu, Alibaba's, Joe Dickerson, Dickerson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Prudential, Jefferies, Hong, U.S, HSBC Jefferies, HSBC, ASML Semiconductor, DexCom Locations: U.K, Asia, China, India, Africa, Hong Kong, Alibaba

Signage for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. covers the front facade of the New York Stock Exchange November 11, 2015. Cloud competition from HuaweiAlibaba has been an industry leader in the cloud business. Alibaba in November blamed U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China for the decision to pull the cloud IPO. Alibaba said its cloud business revenue grew by just 2% year on year in the quarter ended Sept. 30. Those resellers were other companies that had acted as distributors or agents for Alibaba cloud and received commissions.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, It's, Alibaba, hasn't, they're, Duncan Clark, Clark, ”, Jack Ma, Brian Wong, Eddie Wu, Trudy Dai, Daniel Zhang, Yi Zhang, —, Alibaba's, Canalys, BDA's Clark Organizations: Alibaba Group Holding, New York Stock, Reuters, BDA, Alibaba Group, Alibaba, Duncan Clark BDA, Huawei Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent, “ Global Locations: Reuters BEIJING, U.S, China, Beijing, Alibaba

☆ Alibaba's research arm shuts quantum computing lab amid restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant Alibaba (9988.HK) has cut a quantum computing laboratory and team from its research arm, donating both the lab and related experimental equipment to Zhejiang University, the company said on Monday. A spokesperson for Alibaba's DAMO Academy, Alibaba's in-house research initiative which included the lab, said the academy would continue to focus on technology research with the aim of being a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) research. The source said Zhejiang University would try and recruit the affected employees to work on its own quantum research. DAMO Academy was launched in 2017 by Alibaba Group to research advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning.

Persons: Aly, Eddie Wu, Casey Hall, Miral Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Zhejiang University, Alibaba's DAMO Academy, Alibaba's, Reuters, DAMO, Alibaba Group, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China

☆ China's Alibaba shakes up cloud unit management after scrapping the division's IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba will put a bigger emphasis on three business units within the cloud space — public cloud, hybrid cloud and cloud infrastructure. Weiguang Liu will lead the public cloud division, a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly on it told CNBC, while Jin Li will lead the hybrid cloud unit. Daniel Zhang stepped down from the CEO role in September, then quit as the head of the cloud business weeks later. "The cloud intelligence group will resolutely implement a strategy of driving growth with AI and of prioritizing public cloud. "In the future, incremental demand for cloud computing will be driven by demand for AI, and most AI computing will run in the cloud."

Persons: Alibaba, Weiguang Liu, Jin Li, Eddie Wu, Jiangwei Jiang, Jingren Zhou, Daniel Zhang, Wu Organizations: CNBC Locations: China

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Two company sources told Reuters that Ma's move had generated a lot of discussion within the company, as did Jiang's post. Alibaba and the Jack Ma Foundation, the philanthropic organization that handles media queries for the billionaire, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In her internal note, Jiang also repeated comments from Ma's family office shared with the Alibaba-owned newspaper South China Morning Post on Friday that Ma remained "very positive" about Alibaba and that his family trust eventually did not sell a single share. The company has also been grappling with some upheaval in its top ranks, welcoming a new CEO, Eddie Wu, in September.

Persons: Dado, Jack Ma's, Jiang Fang, Jiang, Jack Ma, Ma, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Casey, Jenny Wang, Brenda Goh, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, HK, Reuters, Jack Ma Foundation, China Morning, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Rights SHANGHAI, BEIJING, Shanghai, Beijing

"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

☆ Reaction to Alibaba's scrapping of cloud unit spin-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Alibaba said its decision to shelve the spin-off was due to uncertainties fuelled by U.S. curbs on exports to China of chips used in artificial intelligence applications. Following are what people are saying about the decision:LI CHENGDONG, BEIJING-BASED TECH AND E-COMMERCE ANALYST:"I believe scrapping the cloud unit's IPO reflects a new development strategy implemented by the new leadership. In short, I think prior decisions to restructure and IPO certain business units will have to be reassessed based on prevailing market conditions. The international business is one of the few Alibaba units that’s growing fast, which puts it in a better position to explore external funding."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, LI, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, BRIAN WONG, CHARLIE CHAI, Eddie Wu, SERN LING, Casey, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: REUTERS, China's, HK, Cloud Intelligence, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, BEIJING, AliCloud, Alibaba, Shanghai, Yelin Mo, Beijing

☆ Alibaba extends losses to $26 billion in market value after the company announces big reversal of spin-off plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba has lost $26 billion in market cap since Thursday, after it shelved plans to spin off its cloud business. Executives said they needed to "reset" strategy, and pointed to US restrictions on chip sales to China. AdvertisementAlibaba walked back plans to spin off its $11 billion cloud business this week, sending shares of the Chinese tech giant lower for a second day on Friday. AdvertisementThe spin-off for its Cloud Intelligence Group had been planned as part of a widespread overhaul of the Alibaba empire. "We believe that a full spin-off of Cloud Intelligence Group may not achieve the intended effect of shareholder value enhancement," the company said.

Persons: Alibaba, —, Joseph Tsai, Eddie Wu, Wu, Tsai, Biden, it's, Jack Ma Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Biden Administration, Tencent Holdings, JD, Nvidia, Cloud Intelligence Group, Cloud Intelligence Locations: China

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

☆ Morning Bid: Consumers in focus as Walmart reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Vidya Ranganathan. Thursday's corporate calendar features a host of earnings reports that will shine further light on the health of the global consumer, as U.S. retailers Walmart (WMT.N), Bath & Body Works and Macy's (M.N) report earnings. Expectations for Walmart ride high after peer Target (TGT.N) surged by almost a fifth on Wednesday in the wake of its consensus-beating holiday sales forecast and upbeat view of its supply chain. Figures on Wednesday showed U.S. producer prices fell at their fastest pace since April 2020, and UK consumer inflation undershot all forecasts. Reuters GraphicsMeanwhile in Asia, Japan's exports are struggling due to slumping China-bound shipments of chips and steel.

Persons: Vidya Ranganathan, Eddie Wu, Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, What's, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, England's Randall Kroszner, ECB's Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos, Fed's Loretta Mester, John Williams, Michael Barr, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Vidya, Walmart, Body, Insider Intelligence, U.S, Bank, Events, Applied Materials, Siemens, SQM, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, China, San Francisco, Bath, France

☆ Jack Ma's family trust to sell 10 mln shares in China's Alibaba
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Chinese billionaire Jack Ma's family trust is set to sell 10 million American Depository Shares of Alibaba Group Holdings (9988.HK), for about $871 million, the ecommerce company said in regulatory filings. The sale will be done on Nov. 21 by JSP Investment and JC Properties, funds that are part of the family trust. Alibaba and the Jack Ma Foundation, the philanthropic organization that handles media queries for the billionaire, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba were down more than 3% in premarket trading ahead of its quarterly results. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jack Ma's, Jack Ma, Ma, Eddie Wu, Akash Sriram, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Alibaba Group Holdings, HK, JSP Investment, JC, Jack Ma Foundation, Thomson Locations: Ma . U.S, Alibaba, Bengaluru

☆ Alibaba shares slide over 8% after it disappoints on profit, curbs cloud spinoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Signage at the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. booth at the Smart China Expo in Chongqing, China, on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. Here's how Alibaba did in the September quarter, compared with Refinitiv consensus estimates:Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders: 27.7 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) versus 29.7 billion yuan expected. 27.7 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) versus 29.7 billion yuan expected. Revenue: 224.79 billion yuan ($31 billion) versus 224.3 billion yuan expected. On Thursday, Alibaba said that the U.S. chip restrictions have "created uncertainties for the prospects of Cloud Intelligence Group."

Persons: Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Joe Tsai Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, Smart, U.S, Cloud Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Locations: Chongqing, China, U.S

☆ Cainiao IPO: Alibaba's logistics business will go public in first IPO from the new-look tech giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Alibaba said Tuesday that it would spin off Cainiao, its logistics arm, in what will be the conglomerate’s first initial public offering since it announced a sweeping revamp of its business earlier this year. Cainiao will remain a subsidiary of Alibaba. Founded in 2013, Cainiao operates a global logistics network and provides delivery services for Alibaba and other firms. Alibaba is now beginning to follow through with the most ambitious restructuring in its 24-year history, under new leadership. Cainiao’s listing could provide a much-needed boost to Hong Kong’s beleaguered IPO market.

Persons: London CNN — Alibaba, Cainiao, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Perris Lee Organizations: London CNN, Alibaba, Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, CNN Locations: Hong, Hong Kong, Dealogic

☆ Alibaba to list its logistics unit Cainiao as part of historic shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba plans to list its logistics unit Cainiao on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Chinese e-commerce giant said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. Alibaba said the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has confirmed that the Cainiao listing may go ahead. Founded in 2013, Cainiao is a logistics network that helps Alibaba fulfil deliveries placed on its e-commerce platforms both in China and abroad. Delivery speed is a point of competition among Chinese e-commerce firms. As well as Cainiao, Alibaba is also looking to list its cloud computing business, though it has not officially filed for a spinoff.

Persons: Alibaba, Cainiao, JD.com, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Wu, Zhang, Wu Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Hong Kong Stock Exchange Locations: Shanghai, Cainiao, China

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

☆ Eddie Wu: Alibaba's new CEO embraces AI and wants a younger management team
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Alibaba Group will embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and promote younger people to senior management, its new CEO says, as the e-commerce and cloud giant tackles its most ambitious restructuring in its history. “Times are changing, and so must Alibaba!” Eddie Wu, who stepped into the chief executive role on Sunday, said in a memo to staff seen by CNN. Wu replaced Daniel Zhang to become Alibaba (BABA)’s fourth CEO in its 24-year history. According to a plan announced in March, Alibaba will split into six separate units, including cloud, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment. Top tech firms around the globe have been shifting their focus to AI, including Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT), especially after ChatGPT took the world by storm late last year.

Persons: Eddie Wu, Wu, Daniel Zhang, ’, “, Alibaba, ChatGPT Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Alibaba, “, CNN, Google, Microsoft Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Alibaba CEO warns of being ‘displaced’ if the Chinese tech giant doesn’t keep up in AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage at the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. booth at the Smart China Expo in Chongqing, China, on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. Alibaba needs to be "user first" and "AI-driven," new CEO Eddie Wu told employees on Tuesday, as he laid out the strategic priorities for the Chinese tech giant. As the world progresses, Alibaba needs to evolve even faster!," Wu said in a letter to employees that was seen by CNBC. However, in a surprise move, Zhang this week quit as CEO of the cloud business with Wu taking over in the interim. It comes months after Alibaba split its company into six different business groups, the biggest shakeup in its history.

Persons: Eddie Wu, Wu, Jack Ma's, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, Alibaba Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, Smart, CNBC Locations: Chongqing, China

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Zhang also handed over the role of group CEO to Wu on Sunday as scheduled. "Alibaba Cloud has lost some ground with government and state-owned enterprise clients, which were previously a stronghold for the company," Li said. "During his leadership tenure, Alibaba Cloud's business did not improve significantly despite his efforts. Zhang likely realised that the challenges facing Alibaba Cloud's lacklustre growth were beyond what he could influence or control as an individual executive."

Persons: Aly, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Zhang, Wu, Canalys, Li Chengdong, Li, Sern Ling, Union Bancaire Privee, Donny Kowk, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China's, Reuters, DAMO Academy, Huawei Technologies, Union Bancaire, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, HK, Alibaba, Beijing, Yelin Mo

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