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☆ Tencent's low-profile founder praises China's new support for private firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 20 (Reuters) - Pony Ma, the low-profile founder of Tencent (0700.HK), on Thursday published an article in state media praising Beijing's new supportive policies for the private sector, as a shift in tone towards Chinese technology companies continues. His article, published by state broadcaster CCTV, said Tencent was "excited and encouraged" by the government's guidelines, which he described as clear and "highly targeted." The social media and gaming giant would take measures such as increasing independent innovation to implement the spirit of the guidelines, he said. Last year, Tencent's Ma caused a social media stir when he reposted an article on China's economy that lamented there were few people in China willing to speak up about the pressures facing the country's economy and businesses. Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ma, Tencent, Jack Ma, Tencent's Ma, Liz Lee, Jamie Freed Organizations: HK, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China

[1/3] The sign outside the Sam's Club is seen at its store in Shanghai, China July 12, 2023. The membership stores are also gaining ground amid a sales decline in China's hypermarket sector, which struggled with a shift towards online purchases during the pandemic. The club warehouse format "is the only bright spot," said Derek Deng, who leads Bain & Company's consumer products practice in greater China. "Sam's Club are doing well. But Sam's Club was ultimately confident it is currently miles ahead, one of the people said.

Persons: Aly, Liu Zheng, lockdowns, Derek Deng, Bain, Kantar Worldpanel, Judith McKenna, Bain's Deng, Christina Zhu, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Sam's, REUTERS, Sam's Club, Costco, Walmart, HK, Freshippo, Carrefour, Yonghui, Bain, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, Sun, Retail, M, Beijing Yaodi Agriculture, M Club, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, BEIJING, Beijing, U.S, United States, Carrefour China, Peking, Yangzhou, Lanzhou, Sam's

☆ Meta tells managers promotions will be harder to get, less frequent, and won't be based on team size as much
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Kali Hays | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Managers at Meta have for years been promoted based on the size of the team they built. With an ongoing slowdown in hiring at the company, managers will simply not be able to hire as much as they have in previous years. Another worker commented that taking away team size as a promotion metric means "a manager's career is just up to their ability to navigate politics from now on." For example, to become an engineering manager a person had to show they previously "accumulated" the right size team as a high-level engineer, as Insider previously reported. The new decision to promote fewer managers will make the reduction in Meta's management ranks more permanent.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg's, Maher Saba, Mark Zuckerberg, Saba, Headcount, Zuckerberg, It's, Kali Hays, Hugh Langley Organizations: Meta, Facebook, . Company, Twitter Locations: khays

The gathering comes at a time when global investors and banks are warning that confidence is waning in China's economic outlook. Such a meeting, with a clear agenda to discuss challenges facing global fund managers investing in China, is rare, the three sources said, and reflected Beijing's keenness to shore up confidence among foreign investors. Weighed down by strict COVID measures, China's economy grew just 3% in 2022, one of its worst showings in decades. The meeting is organized by China's fund regulator Asset Management Association of China (AMAC). U.S. dollar-denominated fundraising by China-focused venture capital and PE firms this year also had its weakest first half year in the past decade, data from industry tracker Preqin showed.

Persons: Fang Xinghai, didn't, Andrew Collier, Premier Li Qiang, Xie Yu, Julie Zhu, Selena Li, Kim Coghill Organizations: U.S ., Reuters, Canada's, Ontario, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Management Association of China, ., Orient Capital Research, Ant, Premier, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, U.S, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong

☆ Alibaba's Ele.me platform signs wages, safety contracts as tech crackdown ends - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - Alibaba's Ele.me on Thursday became China's first delivery platform to sign collective contracts on wages and labour safety with its staff, official media reported, as Beijing signals an end to its crackdown on the tech sector. The contracts will apply to 3 million workers on the platform across 11,000 delivery stations in China, according to state-backed media Workers' Daily. The contracts "fully addressed" workers' biggest issues such as labour remuneration, protection and insurance benefits, the report said. Ele.me and service providers are also required to improve communication channels with food delivery couriers, the report added. Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Ethan Wang in Beijing; editing by Jason Neely and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alibaba, Ele.me's, Premier Li Qiang, Meituan, Brenda Goh, Ethan Wang, Jason Neely, Devika Organizations: Workers, Premier, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Shanghai

The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF is up 5.4% since Friday, while back home the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (.CSIH11136) is up nearly 3%. Yet China tech valuations have been gutted in the nearly 3 years since Ant was forced to shelve its initial share offering, and fund managers see plenty of headwinds, apart from just policy scrutiny. "The government has learned that the private sector - particularly the tech sector - is a critical partner in jump-starting growth. The government will continue to exert pressure on key tech companies even as they allow growth to resume," he said. For some sell-side analysts, though, China tech has turned a corner.

Persons: Jack Ma, Jon Withaar, Ant, Wong Kok Hoi, Wong, Kai Kong Chay, Derrick Irwin, Xi Jinping's, Alibaba's ADRs, Morgan Stanley, Min Lan Tan, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: Group, Alibaba, HK, Pictet Asset Management, CSI China, CSI Overseas, CSI Overseas China Internet, Amazon Inc, APS Asset Management, Greater, Manulife Investment Management, UBS Global Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Asia, Hong Kong, Alibaba, CSI Overseas China, Singapore, Greater China, Boston

☆ China's state planner praises Tencent, Alibaba as attitude towards tech shifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China January 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) - China's state planner on Wednesday praised Tencent (0700.HK) and Alibaba (9988.HK) in a statement detailing a study it had done on platform firms, in the latest sign authorities are warming up to the technology sector after a nearly three-year crackdown. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said platform companies had become key contributors to areas of tech innovation China was prioritising, such as semiconductors and autonomous driving. The commission's comments come after authorities signalled last week that a crackdown that began in late 2020 on the country's technology sector had ended with fines on Ant Group and Tencent. During the campaign, which wiped billions of dollars off the market value of China's top technology firms, regulators repeatedly criticised and punished these companies for violations ranging from failing to protect customer privacy to monopolistic behaviour.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Tencent, Tencent's, Xi Jinping, Qiaoyi Li, Brenda Goh, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, HK, National Development, Reform Commission, Ant, Index, Baidu, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong

☆ Premier urges Chinese tech giants to support economy as crackdown ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After listening to suggestions from firms that also included PDD Holdings' (PDD.O) Pinduoduo and JD.com (9618.HK), Li told them authorities would seek to make regulation of platform firms more transparent and predictable. Shares in some U.S.-listed Chinese firms rallied in premarket trade, with Alibaba Group Holding gaining 2.2% and PDD Holdings rising 2.7%. Still Zhou Hao, economist at Guotai Junan International, said Wednesday's meeting was a "positive signal". "A sound development of the platform economy is very significant to investors too. Prudent development of platform firms is important to investors' long-term valuation," he added.

Persons: Li Qiang, Li, ByteDance's Douyin, Zhou Hao, Ella Cao, Brenda Goh, Ellen Zhang, Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter Organizations: Wednesday, HK, PDD Holdings, Alibaba, Ant, Reuters, Guotai, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, premarket

Since 2015, Prime Day sales have risen to more than $7 billion and could top $8 billion this year. Now in its ninth year, Amazon's annual Prime Day has become a fact of American life — a quasi-holiday that retailers of all types pile into. Protestors in New York raising awareness of Amazon facilitating ICE surveillance efforts coinciding with Amazon Prime Day 2019. How Prime Day is goingLast year, Amazon drove more than $7 billion in sales through its Prime Day sales, according to Insider Intelligence. The number of Amazon Prime account holders has ballooned too, with nearly 175 million people using Amazon Prime in the US today — around two-thirds of the country's population — according to a report by Insider Intelligence.

Persons: Michael M, Jack Ma's Alibaba, Diego Piacentini, Jeff Bezos, Brad Stone, Bezos, Execs, Stone, Meagan Wulff Reibstein, Wulff, Kevin Hagen, Brian Olsavsky, Rafael Henrique, Scott Olson, Andrew Lipsman, Lipsman, — Organizations: Amazon Prime, Companies, Amazon, Intelligence, Insider Intelligence, Workers, Walmart, Getty, Target, Target Circle, Black, Prime Locations: China, Tokyo, London, Paris, Munich, Japan, Europe, New York

HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent (0700.HK) shares rose in Hong Kong on Monday after China's $984 million fine against the Jack Ma-founded Ant Group appeared to signal the end of a regulatory crackdown on the country's technology sector. Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares were up nearly 4% by 0230 GMT on Monday, outpacing a 1.3% gain for the broader market (.HSI), while Tencent's shares were up 1%. ANT GROUP VALUATION SLASHEDAlibaba, which spun off Ant 11 years ago and has a 33% stake, said on Sunday it was considering whether to participate in the buyback. Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares rose 8% on Friday after the penalty, one of the largest-ever fines for an internet company in China, was delivered. ($1 = 7.2310 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ant, Dickie Wong, Oshadhi Kumarasiri, Scott Murdoch, Donny Kwok, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jamie Freed Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Ant, People's Bank of China, Kingston Securities, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Alibaba's U.S, China, Sydney

☆ What people are saying about Ant Group's $984 mln fine and share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 10 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group has announced a surprise share buyback that values the fintech giant at $78.5 billion, well below the $315 billion touted in an abandoned IPO in 2020, in a move that may let some investors exit. "And second, of course, we're talking about the share buyback plan. DICKIE WONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT KINGSTON SECURITIES IN HONG KONG:"Their share prices have strongly rebound today mainly driven by the expectation that regulatory pressure from mainland government will ease. Ant Group is on the right track to achieve their final target of an IPO." According to the company, the reason for the buyback is providing liquidity to existing investors and attracting and retaining talented individuals through employee incentives.

Persons: GARY NG, KENNY NG, DICKIE WONG, SUMEET SINGH, Xie Yu, Yantoultra, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Jamie Freed Organizations: Alibaba, HK, ASIA PACIFIC, CHINA, HONG, People's Bank of, Ant Group, KINGSTON, SINGAPORE WHO, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, People's Bank of China, SINGAPORE, COLOMBO, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney

☆ Alibaba shares rise after Chinese regulators fine Ant Group, ending regulatory uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We calculate that Ant Group would be worth $89 billion~ of which Alibaba's stake is $29.4 billion~ given their 33% ownership in Ant Group. We suggest such valuation presents upside from consensus," said Yang, referring to Bloomberg's valuation of Ant Group at just $22 billion to $57 billion. "In our view, [Bloomberg's] valuation range is too low, as Ant Group is comparable to PayPal. On Saturday, Ant Group announced a share buyback that values the company at $78.53 billion, according to state media CGTN. This is lower than Ant's $315 billion valuation when it tried to list in 2020.

Persons: Qilai Shen, Alibaba, Ronald Wan, CNBC's, Wan, Shawn Yang, Ant, Yang, Kumarasiri Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, LightStream Research, Partners Financial Holdings, Ant, Blue Lotus Research, Ant Group, PayPal, Group Locations: Hong Kong, China

China's central bank said that financial regulators would fine Ant and its subsidiaries a total of 7.12 billion yuan, require it to stop operations of its crowdfunded medical aid service Xianghubao and compensate users. Reuters reported earlier, citing sources, that Chinese authorities intended to unveil its fine on Ant as early as Friday. The sources had earlier said that the fine on Ant had been revised to at least 8 billion yuan. Reuters reported in April that Chinese regulators were considering fining Ant about 5 billion yuan, a lower sum than what they initially had in mind. Alibaba was fined a record 18 billion yuan in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Persons: China c.bank, Ant, Ping, Rukim Kuang, Jack Ma, Jeffrey Towson, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Didi Global, Alibaba, Julie Zhu, Jane Xu, Jason Xue, Kevin Huang, Meg Shen, Twinnie Sui, Josh Ye, Ethan Wang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Brenda Goh, David Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Ant Group, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Ping An Bank, PICC, HK, Postal Savings Bank, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba, Hong Kong, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Lens Consulting, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, HONG KONG, Ant's, Hong, Beijing, CHINA

Reuters reported earlier, citing sources, that Chinese authorities intended to unveil its fine on Ant as early as Friday. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), a new government body under the State Council, is now the primary regulator to grant Ant the license, they added. The sources had earlier said that the fine on Ant had been revised to at least 8 billion yuan. Reuters reported in April that Chinese regulators were considering fining Ant about 5 billion yuan, a lower sum than what they initially had in mind. Alibaba was fined a record 18 billion yuan in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Persons: China c.bank, Ant, Ping, Rukim Kuang, Jeffrey Towson, Jack Ma, China's, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Didi Global, Alibaba, Julie Zhu, Jane Xu, Jason Xue, Kevin Huang, Meg Shen, Twinnie Sui, Josh Ye, Ethan Wang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Brenda Goh, David Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Ant Group, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Ping An Bank, PICC, HK, Postal Savings Bank, Tencent Holdings, Tenpay, Alibaba, Hong Kong, Lens Consulting, Communist Party, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, HONG KONG, Ant's, Hong, Beijing, CHINA

HONG KONG, July 7 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holdings (9988.HK) and Huawei Technologies Co on Friday showcased new products, including an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator and an AI model upgrade, as Chinese companies jostle for position in the global AI race. Alibaba Cloud, an Alibaba subsidiary, presented at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai an image generator named Tongyi Wanxiang that will initially be available to enterprise customers in beta form. Also on Friday, Huawei demonstrated the third iteration of its Panggu AI model at the start of its three-day annual developer conference in Dongguan. Alibaba's image generator will compete with OpenAI's DALL-E and Midjourney Inc's Midjourney, U.S.-based rivals that have gained a large following worldwide. Alibaba Cloud emerged from a massive overhaul announced in March that split the Chinese tech major into six units.

Persons: OpenAI, OpenAI's DALL, Inc's Midjourney, Alibaba, Josh Ye, Edmund Klamann, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Alibaba Group Holdings, HK, Huawei Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Huawei, McKinsey, Alibaba, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Shanghai, Dongguan, U.S, Shenzhen

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Rivian, Levi Strauss, Biogen, First Solar and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rivian Automotive — The electric vehicle maker popped more than 16% after Wedbush raised its price target on shares to $30 from $25, citing an improved outlook. Levi Strauss — Shares of the jeans maker slumped 6.7% after the company cut its full-year profit forecast on Thursday. Levi Strauss now expects an adjusted $1.10 to $1.20 per share compared to a previous range of $1.30 to $1.40. First Solar — The solar company climbed 4.6% after receiving a five-year revolving line of credit as well as a guarantee for a $1 billion facility. The firm said it sees sales of TG Therapeutics' treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, Briumvi, to come in above expectations for the second quarter.

Persons: Alibaba, Wedbush, Levi Strauss —, Levi Strauss, Cantor Fitzgerald, DraftKings, Jefferies, CNBC's Hakyung Kim Organizations: Reuters, Ant Group, JPMorgan, Therapeutics, TG Therapeutics, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Alibaba —, Thursday's

☆ Alibaba launches A.I. tool to generate images from text
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Chinese technology giant Alibaba on Friday launched an artificial intelligence tool that can generate images from prompts. Tongyi Wanxiang allows users to input prompts in Chinese and English and the AI tool will generate an image in various styles such as a sketch or 3D cartoon. Generative AI refers to a type of artificial intelligence that is able to generate content based on prompts. And in China, Baidu released Ernie Bot and Alibaba launched Tongyi Qianwen.

Persons: Tongyi, Baidu, Ernie Bot, Alibaba Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Google Locations: Shanghai, China, U.S

☆ Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba expands number of physical grocery stores ahead of the unit's IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba's grocery unit Freshippo expanded its number of physical stores in China, the company said on Friday, as the business prepares to spin off from its parent company and go public. Freshippo, known as Hema in China, plans to open 12 new stores across mainland China in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Last week, JD set up a new business unit to house its grocery business 7Fresh, and appointed a company veteran to lead the division. Users can order online and get groceries delivered, but can also head to the physical stores known for their fresh produce such as lobsters. The expansion comes three months after Alibaba split itself into six separate business units in a bid to get the company back to growth.

Persons: Alibaba's, Hema, JD, Alibaba's Freshippo, Alibaba, Freshippo Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou

☆ Brands focus on stories in refining China livestreaming to boost profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | 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: +6 min

[1/5] Livestreaming sessions by Chinese livestreamers Li Jiaqi and Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, (L) are seen on Alibaba's e-commerce app Taobao displayed on mobile phones in this illustration picture taken December 14, 2021. Stellar growth boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic saw the industry employ more than 1.23 million livestream hosts by 2020, says researcher iResearch, along with numerous accompanying livestream-related training academies and agencies. While Tmall and Li Jiaqi remain powerful, brands moving away from that strategy are cutting reliance on massive discounts and even his famous exhortation, "Oh my god! Liu once thought her brand's price point of about 2,000 yuan ($277) for its dresses made it incompatible with bargain-heavy livestreaming. The dominance of pureplay sales platforms such as Alibaba's Tmall and Taobao, along with JD.com (9618.HK), is increasingly challenged by entertainment and information-led platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Persons: Li Jiaqi, Huang Wei, Florence Lo, Apple's, William Lau, Clyde, iResearch, Jacob Cooke, Li, Liu, Hugo Boss, superhost Viya, Lexie Moris, Betty, Casey Hall, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Apple Watch, HK, Tmall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, Douyin

☆ Zalando sues EU Commission over landmark online content rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 27 (Reuters) - Zalando (ZALG.DE), Europe's biggest online fashion retailer, on Tuesday sued the European Commission for putting it in the same category as Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and Meta Platforms (META.O) regarding new and tough EU online content rules. Under rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) which came into force last year, Zalando was labelled a very large online platform (VLOP) because it has more than 45 million users. EU industry chief Thierry Breton in April labelled 19 online platforms and search engines including five Alphabet subsidiaries, two Meta units, two Microsoft (MSFT.O) businesses, Twitter, Alibaba's (9988.HK) AliExpress and Zalando as VLOPs. "The European Commission misinterpreted our user numbers and failed to acknowledge our mainly retail business model. The number of European visitors who connect with our Partners is far below the DSA's threshold to be considered as a VLOP," Zalando CEO Robert Gentz said in a statement.

Persons: Zalando, Thierry Breton, Germany's Zalando, Robert Gentz, Breton, Gentz, Foo Yun, Christina Fincher Organizations: Tuesday, European Commission, Google, Digital Services, Microsoft, Twitter, HK, Justice, European Union, Commission, Partners, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Luxembourg

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Micron, Roblox, Kellogg, Eli Lilly, Meta, Nike & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Bank of America reiterates Roblox as buy Bank of America said Roblox is the "Metaverse" category leader. Bank of America reiterates Disney as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating on the stock. Bernstein reiterates Tesla as underperform Bernstein said it's not very optimistic that Tesla's entry into EV charging will help the company's margins. Bernstein downgrades Alibaba to market perform from outperform Bernstein said the set-up looks too challenging right now for Alibaba. Bank of America reiterates Analog Devices as buy Bank of America said the stock has "best-in-class free-cash flow generation and returns."

Persons: it's bullish, Roblox, Goldman Sachs, Kellogg, Goldman, Oppenheimer, Bernstein, Tesla, underperform Bernstein, it's, Wolfe, Alibaba, Wells, Evercore, Eli Lilly, Lilly incretin, Alex Kaleida, JPMorgan, Jefferies, Roper Organizations: Citi, Meta, Cannes, Lions, Bank of America, Nike, Disney, EV, Frontier Communications, JPMorgan, Micron, Unity, Software, Industry TAM —, Barclays Locations: NKE, China, Dallas

☆ Bernstein downgrades Alibaba on concerns of 'perpetual low growth'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba's low growth may be a longer-term headwind than previously thought, according to Bernstein. The firm downgraded Alibaba stock to market perform from outperform on Tuesday. "We upgraded Alibaba a year ago on the basis that the stock had discounted perpetual low growth, and that reopening would help support growth via better category mix. Alibaba's shares have traded in a range since — but while they remain cheaply valued, perpetual low growth no longer feels like an aggressive bear case," analyst Robin Zhu said. Zhu added that Alibaba is also contending with more issues beyond low user engagement and pointed toward higher search costs stemming from merchant crowding which is hitting merchant return on investment.

Persons: Bernstein, Robin Zhu, Zhu, BABA, Michael Bloom

☆ China's JD.com brings back veteran to lead new grocery business as rival Alibaba plans spinoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JD.com set up an "Innovative Retail" division that houses its grocery business 7Fresh. The "Innovative Retail" unit will house JD's grocery store business 7Fresh and group buying unit Pinpin, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. Yan Xiaobing, who retired from JD in 2021 after leading the company's international business, will return to head up the Innovative Retail group, the spokesperson said. Alibaba , JD's biggest e-commerce rival in China, split its company into six separate business units this year, the biggest restructuring in its history. One of the business units Alibaba separated out in its restructure is a "local services" group, which covers its food delivery and grocery businesses.

Persons: JD.com, Yan Xiaobing, Yu Rui, Hu Wei, JD's, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Joe Tsai, Sandy Ran Xu, Xu Lei, Xu Organizations: CNBC, JD, Innovative Retail, JD Logistics Locations: China

The CEO role will be handed over to Eddie Yongming Wu, chairman of Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall Group, while Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai will take over Zhang as chairman. "The idea or expectation that one person could manage the business' crown jewel Cloud and at the same time manage the entire Alibaba Group is an unreasonable expectation." "It would be inappropriate for me to continue serving as chairman and CEO of both companies at the same time during the spin-off process." Alibaba thanked Zhang for his "extraordinary leadership in navigating unprecedented uncertainties affecting the company's business over the past few years." Wu, who co-founded Alibaba alongside Ma and Tsai over two decades ago, will continue to concurrently serve as chairman of Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba said.

Persons: Zhang, Joseph Tsai, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Yongming Wu, Alibaba's, Daniel, Brian Wong, Jack Ma, Joe, Eddie, Eric Chen, Wu, Ma, Tsai, Alipay, Jacob Cooke, Cooke, China's, J, Michael Evans, Abinaya, Brenda Goh, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Josh Ye, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Tmall, Reuters, Cloud Intelligence Group, Analysts, Alibaba Health, Technologies, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Japan, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Tokyo, Taobao, Bengaluru, Sydney

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