DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China's JD.com reports higher fourth-quarter adjusted profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 9 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com Inc (9618.HK), reported a higher quarterly adjusted profit on Thursday as China lifted strict pandemic-related curbs late last year. JD.com's net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the fourth quarter was 3 billion yuan ($430.92 million), compared with a net loss of 5.2 billion yuan a year earlier. Revenue rose 7.1% to 295.4 billion yuan in the three months ended December, missing analysts' estimates of 296.17 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. Parts of China remained under strict lockdown for most of the December quarter, with shoppers holding back on spending amid continued economic uncertainty. On an adjusted basis, the Beijing-based company earned 4.81 yuan per American depositary share in the reported quarter, compared with 2.21 yuan per share a year earlier.

☆ Alibaba beats quarterly revenue estimates as COVID curbs ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue on Thursday, as the Chinese e-commerce giant benefited from the country easing COVID-19 curbs. The company has weathered a weak economy in China, which only last December lifted its zero-Covid policy after three years. Revenue rose 2% to 247.76 billion yuan ($35.92 billion) for the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with a Refinitiv consensus estimate of 245.18 billion yuan drawn from 23 analysts. Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was 46.82 billion yuan, up from 27.69 billion yuan in the same quarter one year ago. ($1 = 6.8985 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru and Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Alibaba Sales Take a Hit From China’s Covid-19 Measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Shen Lu | Yoko Kubota | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alibaba’s quarterly revenue rose 2% from a year earlier. Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. reported lackluster sales growth in the October-December quarter, highlighting the financial toll of Beijing’s heavy-handed Covid-control regime and pressure from competition. Chief Executive Daniel Zhang on a call with analysts said he sees 2023 as a year of progress for the company, which is also emerging from a two-year regulatory crackdown.

☆ ChatGPT Fever Sweeps China as Tech Firms Seek Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Karen Hao | Shen Lu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The viral popularity of ChatGPT has stirred a frenzy within China where tech companies, battered by a two-year regulatory clampdown and the Covid-19 pandemic, have been seeking new sources of growth. Search engine owner Baidu Inc., e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and social-media conglomerate Tencent Holdings Ltd. are among those that have announced investments to develop their own equivalents to the artificial-intelligence chatbot, which isn’t available in China. Stocks of other Chinese companies have surged in recent weeks as they have jumped on the bandwagon, triggering state media to issue a warning about the speculative rally.

SYDNEY/HONG KONG, Feb 20 (Reuters) - New rules laying out how Chinese companies can list outside mainland China will often mean getting a nod from several domestic government agencies, potentially making for a lengthy approval process, investment bankers say. On one hand, the rules provide clarity after a regulatory crackdown by Beijing since mid-2021 that has slowed U.S. listings by Chinese firms to a trickle. Those hoops, combined with U.S.-Sino tensions over a multitude of issues from suspected spy balloons to trade friction, means a rush of Chinese firms seeking initial public offerings in New York is unlikely. Last year, U.S. listings of Chinese firms were worth less than $230 million, according to Refinitiv data, a massive drop from $12.9 billion in 2021. "I don't think an overseas listing for the start-up would get the Chinese regulatory nod due to data security.

☆ American Cloud Companies Face Challenge From China in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s Alibaba Cloud has pledged a new investment of $1 billion to support its global partners in the coming three years. SINGAPORE—U.S. cloud-computing companies, dominant globally, are facing intensifying competition from upstart Chinese rivals in Southeast Asia, offering a head-to-head look at how the two geopolitical rivals’ corporate champions stack up in a key technology. China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. are planning to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Southeast Asia in the coming years.

☆ Amazon, Microsoft, Google Pressured by Chinese Cloud Rivals in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I like Nucor over Cleveland-Cliffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Organon & Co : "I do not understand why this stock sells at five times earnings." Loading chart...Alibaba Group Holding Ltd : "It's the only China stock I'd buy." Loading chart...Cleveland-Cliffs Inc : "Why be in Cleveland-Cliffs when you can be in Nucor ?" Loading chart...Barrick Gold Corp : "I think the stock is breaking out here. Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Honeywell.

☆ Activist Investor Ryan Cohen Takes Stake in Alibaba and Pushes for More Stock Buybacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lauren Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Activist Ryan Cohen has a wide following among individual investors who often follow his lead. Activist investor Ryan Cohen has built a stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is privately pushing the Chinese e-commerce giant to accelerate and further boost its share-repurchase program, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Cohen, known as the meme-stock king for helping ignite explosive rallies in GameStop Corp. and others, built the stake in the second half of last year, the people said.

☆ Alibaba Seeks to Boost Sales Abroad With Buy Now, Pay Later
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Clarence Leong | Shen Lu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alibaba’s delayed-payment option will first be rolled out in Germany, Spain and France. SINGAPORE—Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. started allowing shoppers in Europe to pay for purchases on its international e-commerce platform only after receiving their merchandise, in an attempt to boost global sales as growth at home slows. On Monday, a fintech company called Splitit Payments Ltd. said it would join with Ant Group Co.’s Alipay to provide a delayed-payment option to customers of AliExpress, an online marketplace operated by Alibaba outside of China.

☆ Activist investor Ryan Cohen builds stake in Alibaba -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Activist investor Ryan Cohen has built a stake in China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Cohen is privately pushing the Chinese e-commerce giant to accelerate and further boost its share repurchase program, the newspaper reported. Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China Buys Stake in Alibaba Unit, Signaling New Normal of State Oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of an Alibaba subsidiary, say people familiar with the matter say. SINGAPORE—Chinese authorities recently acquired a stake in a subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., indicating regulators intend to keep the sector on a tight leash even as they move past an extended crackdown on the country’s internet-technology giants. A Beijing-based entity controlled by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet watchdog, took a 1% stake in a Guangzhou, south China-based Alibaba business on Jan. 4, according to China’s corporate registry. The cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of the Alibaba entity, whose media portfolio includes mobile browser UC Web, people familiar with the matter say.

☆ China acquires 'golden shares' in two Alibaba units
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China Jan. 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, China, Jan 13 (Reuters) - China has acquired minority stakes with special rights in two domestic units of tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK), business registration records showed, as Beijing extends a campaign to strengthen control over online content. Beijing has been taking 'golden shares' in private online media and content companies for more than five years, and in recent years expanding such arrangements to companies with vast troves of data. These golden shares, typically equal to about 1% of a firm, are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain board representation and/or veto rights for key business decisions. Having such golden shares can be helpful to firms when they try to secure licences to disseminate online news and to show online visual and audio programmes, sources have told Reuters.

☆ China moving to take 'golden shares' in Alibaba, Tencent units - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Tencent is seen at Tencent office in Shanghai, China December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoJan 13 (Reuters) - China is moving to take minority stakes with special rights in the local units of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK), the Financial Times reported on Friday. Seeking influence, Beijing began taking these stakes, called "golden shares," in private online media companies - usually about 1% of a firm - more than five years ago. These golden stakes are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain a board seat and/or veto rights for key business decisions. However, the specifics of the government's plan to take golden shares in Tencent remain under discussion, but they will involve a stake in one of the group's main China operating subsidiaries, the report added.

☆ Alibaba signs cooperation agreement with authorities in China's Hangzhou -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) has signed a cooperation agreement with the government of Hangzhou, the city where the company is headquartered, local media reported on Tuesday. China's internet giants have been in the crosshairs of Chinese regulators for the past two years, but authorities have in recent months given increasing signs that relations between the government and China's tech sector will thaw, which would bode well for the sector's prospectsThe government-backed Zhejiang Daily reported that at the signing event, local authorities formulated specific measures to help develop the online platform economy. The signing comes just two days after Ant Group Co Ltd (688688.SS), the finance company long affiliated with Alibaba, announced Jack Ma had ceded control of the company. The announcemnt caused shares of Alibaba and other Ant Group affiliated companies to soar, as investors interpreted the move as possible cap to a years-long regulatory crackdown on the Chinese tech industry read moreOn Monday, Guo Shuqing, Communist party chief of the People's Bank of China, was quoted by state broadcaster CCTV as saying that rectification of the financial business of 14 online platform companies has been "basically completed," though he did not name any companies. read moreReporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Megacap growth stocks Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) gained over 2% each as U.S. Treasury yields declined. The highly awaited U.S. Labor Department's inflation report on Thursday is expected to show some moderation in year-on-year consumer prices in December. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 4.45-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.54-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 12 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 107 new highs and 18 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"The number of jobs created is working its way down slowly and wages are starting to calm down. Money market bets show 75% odds of a 25-basis point hike in the Fed's February policy meeting, with the terminal rate expected just below 5% by June. ET, Dow e-minis were up 103 points, or 0.30%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 16 points, or 0.41%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 56.75 points, or 0.51%. Macy's Inc (M.N) and Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) dropped 4.7% and 10%, respectively, following dour holiday-quarter forecasts from both the retailers. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures rise on China reopening optimism, easing rate hike worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A key inflation report due on Thursday will provide further cues on the state of price pressures and the outlook for interest rates. The U.S. Labor Department's consumer prices index (CPI) report is expected to show prices increased by 6.5% year-on-year in December, moderating from a 7.1% rise in November. "Sentiment still feels as fragile as a teacup and U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday could provide a key test for investor confidence." ET, Dow e-minis were up 89 points, or 0.26%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.5 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 30.25 points, or 0.27%. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Other rate-sensitive growth stocks like Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) gained about 1% each as U.S. Treasury yields declined. The gains pushed technology (.SPLRCT) to the top of the major S&P 500 sector indexes list. The S&P 500 growth index (.IGX) was up 3.6%, outperforming a 0.7% rise in its value peers (.IVX). Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 3.68-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.15-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 10 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 95 new highs and 14 new lows.

☆ Alibaba plans $1 billion investment in Turkey, Sabah reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Turkey's Sabah newspaper reported Evans as saying in an interview that the company was looking to invest in Europe and the Middle East and that he sees Turkey as a very strong production base. "We have a serious investment plan at Istanbul Airport. We can evaluate e-export plans from here to Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. We plan an investment of more than $1 billion," Evans was quoted as saying. We are positioning this place as a base for Europe and the Middle East," he said.

☆ Jack Ma to relinquish control of Ant Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Ant Group's founder Jack Ma will no longer control the Chinese fintech giant after the firm's shareholders agreed to implement a series of adjustments that will see him give up most of his voting rights, the group said on Saturday. Hangzhou Yunbo, an investment vehicle for Ma, had control over two other entities that own a combined 50.5% stake of Ant, the prospectus showed. Ant said that Ma and nine of its other major shareholders had agreed to no longer act in concert when exercising their voting rights, and would only vote independently. Ma previously possessed more than 50% of voting rights at Ant but the changes will mean that his share falls to 6.2%, according to Reuters calculations. "As a result, there will no longer be a situation where a direct or indirect shareholder will have sole or joint control over Ant Group," it said in its statement.

☆ Ant Group founder Jack Ma to give up control in key revamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba founder Jack Ma attends the 5th World Zhejiang Entrepreneurs Convention at Hangzhou International Expo Centre on November 13, 2019 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Ant Group's founder Jack Ma will give up control of the Chinese fintech giant in an overhaul that seeks to draw a line under a regulatory crackdown that was triggered soon after its mammoth stock market debut was scuppered two years ago. China's domestic A-share market requires companies to wait three years after a change in control to list. Hangzhou Yunbo, an investment vehicle for Ma, had control over two other entities that own a combined 50.5% stake of Ant, the prospectus showed. "At least Ant investors can (now) have some timetable for an exit after a long period of uncertainty," said Clark, who is also an author of a book on Alibaba and Ma.

☆ Futures edge higher ahead of Fed meeting minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.20%, S&P 0.31%, Nasdaq 0.46%Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday as hopes of an economic recovery in China lifted sentiment, while focus was also on minutes from the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting for clues on the outlook for interest rate hikes. Minutes from the Fed's previous meeting, when it raised interest rates by half a percentage point and cautioned rates may need to remain higher for longer, are due to be released at 2 p.m. "The minutes of the latest Fed meeting will be devoured later, in a search for clues about how much higher rates will go before policymakers consider pressing the pause button," said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. ET, Dow e-minis were up 65 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11.75 points, or 0.31%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 50.25 points, or 0.46%. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) fell nearly 10% as the electric-vehicle maker missed Wall Street estimates for quarterly deliveries. Other rate-sensitive technology and growth stocks such as Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) were up between 0.6% and 2.0%. The S&P 500 shed 19.4% in 2022, marking a roughly $8 trillion decline in market cap, while the Nasdaq fell 33.1%, dragged down by growth stocks. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 73 new highs and 23 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Ankika Biswas and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms such as JD.Com Inc , Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) climbed around 2% each in premarket trading. With a handful of trading sessions left this year, investors are hoping for a so-called "Santa rally" at the end of what has been a largely disappointing month for U.S. equities. Economic data so far has offered little hope that the Fed could hit the brakes on its interest rate hikes. ET, Dow e-minis were up 147 points, or 0.44%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.5 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 5 points, or 0.05%. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Alibaba Group Holding Ltd"

25 mentions found