Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others. It operates Taobao and Tmall, which are digital retail platforms; Alimama, a proprietary monetization platform; 1688.com and Alibaba.com, which are online wholesale marketplaces; AliExpress, a retail marketplace; Lazada, Trendyol, and Daraz that are e-commerce platforms; Freshippo, a retail platform for groceries and fresh goods; and Tmall Global, an import e-commerce platform. The company also operates Cainiao Network logistic services platform; Ele.me, an on-demand delivery and local services platform; Koubei, a restaurant and local services guide platform; and Fliggy, an online travel platform. In addition, it offers pay-for-performance, in-feed, and display marketing services; and Taobao Ad Network and Exchange, a real-time online bidding marketing exchange. Further, the company provides elastic computing, storage, network, security, database, big data, and IoT services; and hardware, software license, software installation, and application development and maintenance services. Additionally, it operates Youku, an online video platform; Quark, a platform for information search, storage, and consumption; Alibaba Pictures and other content platforms that provide online videos, films, live events, news feeds, literature, music, and others; Amap, a mobile digital map, navigation, and real-time traffic information app; DingTalk, a business efficiency mobile app; and Tmall Genie smart speaker. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Key Points
Alibaba dominates China’s e-commerce and cloud markets.
Tencent owns the country’s top “super app” and gaming business.
One of these tech titans has a brighter future.
Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and Tencent (OTC: TCEHY) are two of China's largest tech companies. Alibaba owns the country's largest e-commerce marketplaces and top cloud infrastructure platform. Tencent owns China's largest social media platform, one of the country's leading cloud infrastructure platforms, and the world's largest video game publishing business. Both companies are expanding their artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems with new large language models (LLMs), generative AI applications, and autonomous driving services.
Both stocks might appear to be reliable investments in China's economic expansion. Yet, over the past five years, Alibaba's stock has declined by nearly 40%, while Tencent's stock has risen by only 6%. They lost their luster as China's economic growth cooled off, they faced intense scrutiny from antitrust regulators, and the trade war curbed the market's appetite for Chinese equities. Should you invest in either of these out-of-favor Chinese bellwethers today?
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Alibaba's high-growth days are over
Alibaba generates most of its revenue and profits from its two most significant Chinese marketplaces, Taobao and Tmall. A smaller slice of its revenue comes from its cloud infrastructure business, which operates at lower margins than its e-commerce marketplaces.
In 2021, China's antitrust regulators barred Taobao and Tmall from locking in their merchants with exclusive deals, using loss-leading promotions to gain new customers, and expanding with unapproved investments and acquisitions. Those restrictions throttled its growth and eroded its defenses against its top competitors, PDD (NASDAQ: PDD) and JD.com (NASDAQ: JD).
That pressure forced Alibaba to rely on its overseas marketplaces (including Lazada in Southeast Asia, Trendyol in Turkey, Daraz in South Asia, and AliExpress for cross-border purchases) and its Cainiao logistics business to drive its top-line growth. However, that strategy compresses its margins because those faster-growing businesses are still unprofitable.
From fiscal 2025 (which ended in March 2025) to fiscal 2028, analysts expect Alibaba's revenue and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a CAGR of 8% and 11%, respectively. Its high-growth days are over, but it could stabilize Taobao and Tmall with AI-driven recommendations, new merchant tools, and logistics upgrades over the next few years. It also expects the AI boom to generate strong tailwinds for its cloud infrastructure business. The stable growth of its e-commerce and cloud businesses could free up more resources to expand its lower-margin international marketplaces and Cainiao's new third-party logistics services.
Tencent faces similar challenges
Tencent's core growth engine is WeChat (known as Weixin in China), a "super app" which bundles together messaging, news, e-commerce, payment, and gaming features for more than 1.41 billion monthly active users (MAUs). Its other main growth engine is its video game business, which publishes titles such as Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, League of Legends, Clash of Clans, Pokémon Unite, and other hit games.
WeChat remains a vital app for everyday life in China, but it faces fierce competition from ByteDance's Douyin (known as TikTok overseas) and other rapidly growing apps. Meanwhile, China's government regulators are tightening their grip on its booming video game market by approving fewer titles and implementing playtime restrictions for minors. Those regulatory headwinds curbed the growth of Tencent's gaming business.
To offset that pressure, Tencent is expanding its higher-growth fintech and business services segment, which houses its WeChat Pay digital payments platform, Tencent Cloud infrastructure platform, and other enterprise-oriented services. It's also upgrading its targeted ads with new AI algorithms to squeeze more revenue from WeChat's existing users and expanding its overseas gaming business to reduce its dependence on the Chinese market.
Those new strategies are helping to stabilize Tencent's revenue and earnings growth. From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue and EPS to grow at a CAGR of 11% and 15%, respectively. The integration of its LLM into more WeChat ads, gaming, and enterprise features -- along with the growth of its gaming and cloud businesses -- should drive that growth.
Which stock is a better value?
Alibaba and Tencent are trading at 17 times and 20 times their next year's earnings, respectively. Alibaba might seem cheaper, but it's also growing at a slower rate and faces more formidable competitors in its core e-commerce market. Tencent also faces competitors in the advertising and gaming markets, but WeChat is still an irreplaceable app for its core Chinese users.
Both stocks could attract more investors if the trade tensions between the U.S. and China ease. However, Tencent seems like a more stable growth play than Alibaba -- which still needs to carefully expand its higher-growth businesses without crushing its own margins.
Should you buy stock in Alibaba Group right now?
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Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tencent. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and JD.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Best Stock to Buy Right Now: Alibaba vs. Tencent

Key Points
Alibaba has invested more than $17 billion over the past year in AI and cloud infrastructure over the past year.
Alibaba's AI-related product revenue has delivered growth north of 100% for nine consecutive quarters.
Its cash cow e-commerce business is financing Alibaba's AI future, and you can buy the stock at a forward earnings multiple in the teens.
There's an argument to be made that many artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are bargains right now, as long as things break in their favor in the coming years. I took a more conventional path to finding a bargain in this space, even though the name I settled on isn't very conventional.
The market doesn't see Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) as an AI stock. It's an e-commerce behemoth in China. It's the company that helped create a shopping holiday by promoting Nov. 11 as Singles Day, six years before Amazon fabricated its own Prime Day event.
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You just have to keep digging. Break through the surface of Alibaba's two-headed e-commerce beast of its Taobao and Tmall subsidiaries. Travel the world to get beyond its growing AliExpress business, selling unbelievably inexpensive merchandise internationally. Then you'll see Alibaba hard at work on its AI future.
You can't spell Alibaba without AI
Alibaba is making big bets on AI. I'll get into why it can afford these outsize wagers shortly. For now, it's enough to say that Alibaba is all in on AI. Its cloud intelligence business, one of Alibaba's few profitable businesses outside e-commerce, is a rock star. The business saw its revenue climb 34% in Alibaba's latest quarter, more than double the 15% top-line growth from the continuing operations of the overall business.
A key spark in that cloud-hosting business is how demand for AI is fueling the boom. AI-related product revenue has rattled off nine consecutive quarters of triple-digit year-over-year growth. It's starting to move the needle and, in the process, reshaping the stock's narrative.
You don't need to panhandle when you own the bank
Let's get back to Alibaba's Singles Day. It's celebrated on Nov. 11, because if you spell the date out numerically, it's all ones -- singles. It's neat and in order. The same can be said about its flagship e-commerce businesses.
Taobao and Tmall combined to deliver 45% of Alibaba's consolidated revenue in fiscal 2025, but more than 100% of its consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). Many companies making significant investments in AI are taking on debt and issuing dilutive stock offerings in the secondary market. Alibaba doesn't have to give away the store to keep its lab running.
Taobao and Tmall teamed up to generate an adjusted EBITDA margin of 44% in fiscal 2025. This money has been returned to its shareholders through dividends and 14 consecutive quarters of stock buybacks. However, even that isn't enough to deploy all the cash that its e-commerce and now cloud-hosting business are generating. Alibaba is that rare company that can spend heavily -- to the tune of more than $17 billion in capital expenditures on AI and cloud infrastructure over the trailing 12 months -- and still deliver strong profitability.
So when China asked its hometown heroes to give it a hand in the trade war with the U.S. by helping with the production of AI chips as an alternative to Nvidia's (NASDAQ: NVDA) superior but tariff-saddled solution, Alibaba knew what it had to do. It can afford to step up with practically a blank check in its arsenal to invest in the ultimate AI growth market.
I promised you a cheap AI stock
I meant what I said when I argued that even the largest of AI stocks can be cheap in the right light. Nvidia is trading for just 25 times forward earnings. You probably thought it was going to be higher, but that just shows how stellar growth can catch up to a market-beating investment.
Alibaba isn't a shrinking violet. The stock is up 75% in 2025, heading into the final trading day of the year. You probably think this self-financing AI dream factory is trading at a juicy earnings multiple, but it's trading for less than 16 times next fiscal year's profit target.
AI stock? Check. Bargain? Check. Hungry for more gains in 2026? Check, please.
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Rick Munarriz has positions in Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

This Artificial Intelligence Stock Is an Absolute Bargain Right Now, and It Could Skyrocket in 2026

Key Points
XY sold 419,251 shares, closing out a position previously valued at $13.68 million.
It represents a 7.21% decrease relative to 13F reportable assets under management (AUM).
XY Capital Ltd disclosed a complete exit from JD.com (NASDAQ:JD) in its November 13, 2025, SEC filing.
What happened
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated November 13, 2025, XY Capital Ltd sold all 419,251 shares of JD.com, closing its position. The estimated transaction value is $13.68 million, based on quarterly average pricing. The fund reported 157 total positions and $189.92 million in 13F reportable U.S. equity assets after this filing.
What else to know
Top holdings after the filing (not including stock options):
NYSE: BABA: $15.23 million (12.7% of AUM)
NYSE: BEKE: $9.50 million (7.9% of AUM)
NYSE: YUMC: $6.55 million (5.5% of AUM)
NYSEMKT: FXI: $5.96 million (5.0% of AUM)
NYSE: AEG: $5.48 million (4.6% of AUM)
As of November 13, 2025, shares were priced at $30.71, down 11.47% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 25.07 percentage points
Company Overview
Price (as of market close 2025-11-13)
$30.71
Market Capitalization
$43.55 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$181.9 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$4.49 billion
Company Snapshot
Offers a broad portfolio of products including electronics, home appliances, general merchandise, fresh produce, apparel, and healthcare items, complemented by logistics, marketing, and technology-driven supply chain services.
Operates a supply chain-based e-commerce platform, generating revenue through direct online sales, third-party marketplace services, logistics solutions, and value-added technology offerings.
Targets consumers and businesses across China, serving both individual shoppers and enterprise clients seeking integrated retail and logistics solutions.
JD.com, Inc. is a leading Chinese e-commerce and supply chain technology provider with extensive scale and a diversified product offering. The company leverages its proprietary logistics infrastructure and digital capabilities to deliver efficient, reliable service to a broad customer base. Its integrated model and focus on technology-driven supply chain solutions position it competitively in the rapidly evolving retail and logistics landscape.
Foolish take
XY Capital has closed out its JD.com position amid a long-term downtrend in the stock. Although the stock stopped falling in 2024, the increases since that time have been minimal.
Admittedly, other Chinese stocks, such as JD.com’s largest competitor, Alibaba, experienced a comparable decline until 2024. Also, investors often turn to a No. 2 company in a given industry, and JD.com certainly fits that description in the Chinese market.
However, Alibaba has dramatically outperformed JD.com since that time. Moreover, JD.com has stuck primarily to retailing and logistics operations, though it has become a retail-as-a-service provider for its partners.
In contrast, Alibaba has more closely followed Amazon’s tech conglomerate model. Since Alibaba also has a cloud segment, it may appear more attractive to investors like XY Capital, which, as previously mentioned, is the fund's largest holding.
Additionally, investors have numerous choices when it comes to tech-driven e-commerce conglomerates. With the additional risk of Chinese stocks, XY Capital may have decided it feels more comfortable investing in market leader Alibaba.
Glossary
13F reportable assets: U.S. equity securities that institutional investment managers must disclose quarterly to the SEC using Form 13F.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of investments managed by a fund or investment firm on behalf of clients.
Quarterly average pricing: The average price of a security over a given quarter, often used for estimating transaction values.
Position: The amount of a particular security or asset held by an investor or fund.
Complete exit: Selling all shares of a security, resulting in no remaining ownership in that position.
Filing: An official document submitted to a regulatory agency, such as the SEC, disclosing financial or operational information.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
Third-party marketplace services: Services allowing external sellers to offer products on a company’s e-commerce platform, generating fees or commissions.
Value-added technology offerings: Additional technology-based services provided to customers beyond basic product sales, often for a fee.
Integrated model: A business structure combining multiple functions—such as sales, logistics, and technology—within one organization for efficiency.
Supply chain-based e-commerce platform: An online retail system that manages product flow from suppliers to customers, emphasizing logistics and delivery efficiency.
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Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and JD.com and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $47.50 calls on Yum China and short January 2027 $52.50 calls on Yum China. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

XY Capital Dumps 419,000 JD.com Shares in $13.7 Million Exit

Alibaba BABA confronts persistent headwinds in its core e-commerce operations despite management's aggressive pivot toward artificial intelligence investments. The company reported 5% year-over-year revenue growth to RMB247.8 billion in its second quarter of fiscal 2026, but this modest expansion masks troubling deterioration in profitability metrics.
Non-GAAP earnings plunged 71% year over year to RMB4.36 per American Depositary Share, significantly underperforming analyst expectations by approximately 20%. Operating income plunged 85% from RMB35.2 billion to just RMB5.4 billion, reflecting the substantial margin compression from strategic investments.
The China commerce segment faces intensifying competitive pressure from PDD Holdings, ByteDance's Douyin and JD.com, forcing Alibaba into costly defensive strategies. While local e-commerce revenues expanded 16% during the fiscal second quarter, supported by government consumption stimulus measures, this growth required elevated marketing expenditure and aggressive subsidies through the company's "10-Billion Subsidy" program. Management emphasized optimization of quick commerce unit economics, achieving a 50% reduction in per-order losses since mid-2025, yet these improvements remain insufficient to offset broader margin degradation.
In December 2025, Alibaba announced expanded instant commerce infrastructure through its Cainiao logistics arm, planning new or expanded warehouses across 31 mainland Chinese cities by January 2026 to enable four-hour grocery deliveries. However, this infrastructure investment compounds capital expenditure concerns, with the company already reporting RMB21.8 billion negative free cash flow last quarter, driven by an 80% year-over-year increase in capital spending. The balance sheet deterioration raises questions about Alibaba's ability to sustain simultaneous investments in AI infrastructure, quick commerce logistics and margin-eroding subsidies while defending against relentless competitive encroachment in its traditional e-commerce stronghold.
Rivals Navigate Infrastructure Expansion
Amazon AMZN has aggressively accelerated its quick commerce footprint throughout late 2025, establishing over 300 micro-fulfillment centers across India's major metropolitan areas. Amazon's "Amazon Now" service promises 10-minute deliveries across select areas in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, with daily orders growing 25% month over month since the September 2025 expansion. The e-commerce giant announced in December 2025 plans to open two new dark stores daily, targeting 300 total facilities by year-end, exclusively in its three operating cities. Amazon's infrastructure investments remain substantial yet focused, concentrating resources on high-density urban markets where Prime membership penetration provides customer acquisition advantages.
Meanwhile, JD.com JD surpassed 700 million annual active customers in October 2025, driven partly by its JD NOW instant retail platform. It delivered products in as fast as nine minutes from over 500,000 physical stores across 2,300 Chinese counties and cities. JD.com achieved sequential investment reduction in its food delivery business during the third quarter, demonstrating improved unit economics performance that contrasts sharply with Alibaba's mounting losses. JD.com's November 2025 Singles' Day performance showcased 40% year-over-year growth in shoppers and nearly 60% order volume increases, with 95% of retail orders fulfilled within 24 hours.
Both Amazon and JD.com face similar infrastructure cost pressure as Alibaba, yet appear better positioned to absorb expansion expenses, given stronger baseline profitability and more disciplined capital allocation strategies.
BABA’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
BABA shares have surged 30.3% in the past six-month period, outperforming the Zacks Internet – Commerce industry and the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector’s growth of 4.2% and 3.1%, respectively.
BABA’s 6-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, BABA stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 2.23X compared with the industry’s 2.14X. BABA has a Value Score of D.
BABA’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.42 per share, implying a 28.7% year-over-year decline.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited Price and Consensus
Alibaba currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Will Alibaba Stock Recover Amid Slowing E-Commerce Market Momentum?

Key Points
Alibaba's tailwinds include strong generative AI demand and expansion beyond China.
Its key challenges include increasing competition and regulatory uncertainty in China.
Alibaba should be able to deliver robust growth over the next five years despite its challenges.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) is often referred to as the "Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) of China." The two companies' businesses are similar enough for the nickname to stick.
Over the last five years, however, Alibaba's stock performance has diverged significantly from that of its American counterpart. While Amazon's share price recovered from the bear market sell-off of 2022 and is now up more than 40% since late 2020, Alibaba's shares have declined by roughly 40%.
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That's water under the bridge now, though. Where will Alibaba stock be in five years?
Alibaba's tailwinds
You don't have to look hard to spot Alibaba's greatest tailwind. It's artificial intelligence, especially generative AI.
In the third quarter of 2025, Alibaba reported that AI-related product revenue soared by a triple-digit percentage year-over-year for the ninth consecutive quarter. Sales for the company's Cloud Intelligence Group unit jumped 34% year-over-year, with CEO Eddie Wu attributing the growth to "robust AI demand."
Alibaba Cloud ranks as the leader in China's AI cloud market with a market share of 35.8%. The company's full-stack approach to AI, providing infrastructure, large language models (LLMs), and internally developed chips, gives it a solid competitive advantage.
E-commerce remains a cash cow for Alibaba. The company's Alibaba.com, Tabao, and Tmall platforms are popular in China. Its Quick Commerce business, which provides super-fast delivery of groceries and essential daily products, is gaining momentum.
Alibaba is also expanding beyond China. Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC) operates globally and has achieved particular success in Europe and the Middle East.
Like Amazon, Alibaba continually looks for new growth opportunities. A key focus for the company is the robotaxi market. Alibaba recently made a strategic investment in Hello's robotaxi business.
Key challenges
Don't think that Alibaba has a cakewalk ahead of it, though. The company faces several significant challenges.
Increasing competition perhaps deserves a spot at the top of the list. PDD Holdings (NASDAQ: PDD), which operates the Pinduoduo and Temu e-commerce platforms, has escalated the price war in China. ByteDance's Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) has disrupted how younger people shop online.
Alibaba can't buy the most powerful GPUs made by Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). This challenge has forced the company to invest more heavily in developing its own chips. It also increases the risk that Alibaba will be left behind in terms of technology.
Being based in China comes with a web of issues. Regulatory uncertainty is probably the most worrisome problem. Although the Chinese government is currently supportive of tech companies, the threat of a policy change always hovers over Alibaba like a dark cloud.
Another factor that Alibaba must manage is the steep cost of building AI data center infrastructure. The company's capital expenditures could squeeze earnings over the next few years.
A prediction for where Alibaba stock will be in 2030
Will Alibaba's tailwinds be sufficient to overcome its challenges through the end of the decade? I think so.
Despite intense competition, the company's e-commerce revenue continues to grow robustly. The restrictions on purchasing Nvidia's GPUs could prove to be a net positive for Alibaba over the long term. The Chinese government knows that for China to remain competitive in the AI race, companies like Alibaba must remain strong.
Most importantly, I expect that Alibaba's investments in AI infrastructure spending will yield significant returns. In particular, my hunch is that the adoption of agentic AI will generate tremendous growth for Alibaba Cloud.
Where does this leave Alibaba's stock in 2030? I predict that the Chinese internet giant's share price will soar by around 90% over the next five years to roughly $285. Alibaba's future should be brighter than its past.
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Keith Speights has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Where Will Alibaba Stock Be in 5 Years?

In the latest trading session, Alibaba (BABA) closed at $152.24, marking a +1.45% move from the previous day. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.03%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.04%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.09%.
The online retailer's stock has dropped by 4.78% in the past month, falling short of the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 1.47% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.57%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Alibaba in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $2.24, showcasing a 23.55% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $41.33 billion, indicating a 7.67% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.42 per share and a revenue of $146.08 billion, representing changes of -28.75% and +5.75%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Alibaba. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 2.83% lower. At present, Alibaba boasts a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
Looking at valuation, Alibaba is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 23.36. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 19.
Investors should also note that BABA has a PEG ratio of 2.08 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Internet - Commerce industry was having an average PEG ratio of 1.46.
The Internet - Commerce industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 81, this industry ranks in the top 33% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Alibaba (BABA) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors

Key Points
Alibaba's e-commerce business allows it to self-finance growth initiatives that may take years to bear fruit.
Despite operating several money-losing ventures, Alibaba trades at an earnings multiple discount to the general market.
Some of those bets -- like AI cloud hosting -- have already turned the corner of profitability.
Imagine being able to attempt challenging aerial feats, knowing that you have the mother of all safety nets waiting for you. When it comes to having freedom to take financial risks, the only thing better than being born a trust fund heir or a nepo baby is to be Alibaba (NYSE: BABA).
That took an unexpected turn, but as a somewhat recent Alibaba shareholder -- I've owned the Chinese e-commerce pioneer for roughly two years -- it's a point that sticks with me. Alibaba is a cash tree that generates enough dough to bankroll forward-minded bets. Why would I want to sell the stock, when it's the gift that keeps on giving?
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Peter, Paul, and marry
The old phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" isn't meant as a compliment. Using funds from one source to solve a problem elsewhere only creates a new problem. However, it's a strategy that makes perfect sense once you learn that nearly half of Alibaba's revenue accounts for more than its entire profitability.
It begins with China's Alibaba holding a dominant position in the country's online retail market. Its two core businesses, Taobao and Tmall, are different in theory. Taobao is China's largest consumer-to-consumer platform, where individuals and small businesses try to sell goods. Tmall tackles the more competitive business-to-consumer marketplace.
Most U.S. shoppers have likely never heard of Taobao or Tmall, although they may be familiar with Alibaba's AliExpress arm, which provides low-priced merchandise to deal seekers outside of China. The key point to remember here is that Taobao and Tmall form a potent one-two punch. Those two businesses accounted for 45% of Alibaba's consolidated revenue in fiscal 2025. They also combined to deliver 113% of Alibaba's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).
Planting seeds and waiting for the harvest
With a stunning 44% adjusted EBITDA margin for the two e-commerce juggernauts combined, Alibaba has a laundry list of options. It can return money to its investors, and it does do that. Alibaba's 0.7% dividend yield is admittedly modest. The company's preferred method for returning cash to its shareholders is through stock buybacks. Alibaba has repurchased shares in 14 consecutive quarters, reducing its fully diluted share count by 13% since the end of fiscal 2021.
That's neat, but you know what's cooler? Alibaba is using the lion's share of its cash-flow proceeds to grow in emerging industries. Alibaba's overall business rose 5% -- or 15% from continuing operations -- in its latest quarter. It has some dynamic opportunities growing even faster. Its cloud intelligence business, which centers around artificial intelligence (AI) hosting, has grown 30% over the past year. It's actually profitable, but most of its side quests are not. Alibaba is working on AI chips. It just introduced AI glasses last month. It has a third-party delivery segment called Taobao Instant Commerce that surged 60% in its latest quarter.
Alibaba can afford to lose money on ambitious ventures. Many will fail. You're going to strike out a lot when you swing for the fences. The home runs that arise in the coming years -- like we're now seeing with cloud intelligence -- make the at-bats worth taking. Why would you sell a company that can self-finance its future while also improving per-share profitability with proceeds left over for buybacks? I'm sold, so I'm not selling.
Should you buy stock in Alibaba Group right now?
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Rick Munarriz has positions in Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

1 Reason I'm Never Selling Alibaba Stock

With the final shopping weekend before Christmas now behind us, a record 158.9 million consumers are expected to have shopped on "Super Saturday" — the final Saturday before Christmas, (both in-store and online) according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) latest report. This expected number reflects an improvement of 1.1 % from 157.2 million shoppers last year and surpasses the previous record of 158.5 million in 2022.
Despite broader economic headwinds and shifting consumer priorities, this late-season surge should help many retailers close the final quarter of the year on a stronger footing, supporting earnings growth and, by extension, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to consumer staples and broad retail benchmarks.
Looking ahead, as we identify ETFs poised to benefit from the Christmas holiday shopping spree, we first take a quick look at current consumer spending trends shaping the U.S. retail sector and the growth prospects they offer.
Navigating the 2025 US Consumer Spending Trend
This year’s shopping trends reveal a sophisticated "tactical consumer." Recent data from CNBC suggests a pivot in consumers’ preferences where shoppers are focusing on quality and meaningful gifts rather than just hunting for the deepest discounts. However, this optimism is tempered by a broader slowdown in the U.S. economy. Consumers, therefore, appear to be navigating a “two-speed” economy, with overall holiday spending projected to cross the $1 trillion mark even as many households rein in spending amid inflation, tariff-related pressures and labor market softness.
Consequently, while retail sales are likely to post growth this holiday season, analysts caution that the gains will be driven primarily by higher prices, not increased consumer outlays. To this end, S&P Global Ratings announced in a recent report, published last month, that it expects U.S. holiday sales (November-December) to grow 4% in 2025 from 2024, with holiday retail spending by consumers estimated to remain relatively flat, amid weaker consumer confidence, tariff impact and uncertain macroeconomic outlook.
Outlook for 2026
Considering the current shopping trend, the "silver lining" for ETFs lies in the resilience of mega-cap retailers like Walmart WMT and Costco COST. These companies have successfully captured "trade-down" traffic — high-income shoppers looking for value — ensuring that even as the economy cools, the largest components of retail funds remain robust.
Omnichannel leaders such as Amazon AMZN are also benefiting from this resilience, leveraging their seamless online shopping, last-minute delivery, and in-store pickup offerings.
For 2026, moderating consumer spending growth might lead to slower sales but not a collapse, pointing to an environment where efficiency, pricing power, and loyalty ecosystems matter most — characteristics that many top holdings in broad U.S. retail ETFs already possess.
To this end, Fitch Ratings expects modestly positive U.S. retail sales in 2026, driven by a full year of tariff-related inflation and some growth in consumer staples, partially offset by weak discretionary volume.
ETFs to Gain
Taking into account the aforementioned discussion, ETFs that focus on consumer staples stocks like WMT, along with ETFs that offer exposure to retailers with robust omnichannel networks like AMZN as well as ETFs that track e-commerce platforms like Shopify SHOP, EBAY Inc. EBAY or Alibaba BABA, may be better insulated from slowdowns.
Thus, you may keep the following ETFs in your watchlist amid the record Super Saturday consumer traffic and the moderate growth expected in retail sales next year.
VanEck Retail ETF RTH
This fund, with assets worth $248 million, offers exposure to the world’s 26 largest and most traded retailers. Its top three holdings include AMZN (19.53%), WMT (11.79%) and COST (8.06%).
RTH has risen 11.6% year to date. The fund charges 35 basis points (bps) as fees. It traded at a volume of 0.01 million shares in the last trading session.
ProShares Online Retail ETF ONLN
This fund, with an average market cap of $179.17 billion, offers exposure to 19 companies at the forefront of the rising e-commerce theme. Its top three holdings include: AMZN (23.35%), BABA (11.44%) and EBAY (8.11%).
ONLN has surged 31.9% year to date. The fund charges 58 bps as fees. It traded at a volume of 0.02 million shares in the last trading session.
Global X E-commerce ETF EBIZ
This fund, with net assets worth $51 million, offers exposure to 41 selective global e-commerce companies. Its top three holdings include Expedia EXPE (6.10%), SHOP (5.57%) and BABA (4.87%).
EBIZ has soared 19.4% year to date. The fund charges 50 bps as fees. It traded at a volume of 0.01 million shares in the last trading session.
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF FSTA
This fund, with net assets worth $1.33 billion, offers exposure to 97 U.S. consumer staples stocks. Its top three holdings include WMT (14.48%), COST (11.96%) and Procter and Gamble (PG) (10.05%).
FSTA has gained 2.4% year to date. The fund charges 8 bps as fees. It traded at a volume of 0.19 million shares in the last trading session.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

ETFs to Gain as an Estimated 159M Shoppers Flocked to "Super Saturday"

Key Points
Nvidia undeniably led the first wave of the artificial intelligence revolution.
As is always the case, though, competitors have figured out how to effectively compete against the AI titan.
One of the few stocks now outperforming Nvidia is a name few would have ever expected.
When most investors think of an artificial intelligence stock, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the name that comes to mind. And understandably so. Not only is the company's technology the heart and soul of most AI data centers, but Nvidia shares have dished out the most widespread gains to the greatest number of shareholders.
Nothing lasts forever, though. As time marches on, other companies catch up with market leaders, delivering outsized gains to their investors. And one artificial intelligence name that's come on strong enough since early last year to outperform Nvidia's stock is Alibaba (NYSE: BABA).
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Yes, Alibaba
That's not a typo. Although you may best know the company as China's e-commerce powerhouse serving its home country's (and nearby neighbors') consumers, it officially waded into AI waters in late August with the unveiling of its first-ever AI processor chip that's competitive with Nvidia's powerful H2O processors approved for sale to overseas customers.
Although shares were starting to perk up by the middle of last year in anticipation of this move, seeing it become a reality dramatically stoked those bullish fires. Between then and now, Alibaba shares have gained 89% versus Nvidia stock's advance of a more modest 51%. And that's with the recent marketwide weakness undermining Alibaba's recent bullishness.
It's arguably well-deserved bullishness too, as the company and country aim to wean themselves from dependence on Nvidia-made tech.
Settle in
Just keep all of it in perspective. Alibaba is maneuvering to capitalize on an obvious opportunity, but it's still very early days for its artificial intelligence chip business. It could be several years before it achieves enough production scale to add to the company's bottom line rather than subtract from it. Expect plenty of volatility from the stock.
Also keep in mind, however, that stocks tend to move in anticipation of a company's future rather than reflect its past, or even its present. And the more compelling the future, the further down the road the market is willing to look. That's why Alibaba could continue to outperform Nvidia for the foreseeable future.
Should you buy stock in Alibaba Group right now?
Before you buy stock in Alibaba Group, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alibaba Group wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $509,039!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,109,506!*
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James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The AI Stock That's Secretly Crushing Nvidia

JD.com JD shares have plunged 11.2% over the past six months, lagging significantly behind the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector’s return of 6.6% and the Zacks Internet-Commerce industry’s advance of 5.3%. The stock's weakness reflects investor concerns around profitability pressure from new business investments, moderating growth in electronics categories after government subsidies ended and the ongoing drag from food delivery losses.
This notable gap in performance raises a critical question for investors: Does JD's current price offer a compelling entry point, or are there deeper problems that warrant caution? Let's delve deeper to find out.
JD Underperforms Sector & Industry in the Past 6 Months
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Food Delivery Expansion Pressures Near-Term Profitability
JD’s aggressive push into food delivery has emerged as a meaningful drag on near-term profitability. During the third quarter of 2025, the segment reported an operating loss of RMB 15.7 billion as JD scaled its on-demand delivery operations. The initiative represents a structural shift from JD’s centralized, inventory-led retail model to a hyperlocal logistics network, bringing significantly higher operating complexity.
Competition remains intense, particularly against entrenched leader Meituan, forcing JD to rely on heavy subsidies and commission-free policies to attract merchants and users. While these tactics have supported rapid GMV and order growth, they have limited revenue contribution and pressured unit economics. Achieving scale efficiency in real-time logistics requires dense routing and sustained investment, delaying meaningful margin recovery.
Encouragingly, losses narrowed sequentially in the third quarter as operating efficiency improved and order mix shifted toward higher-value transactions. Concepts such as 7Fresh Kitchen have gained early traction, but the path to breakeven remains uncertain given the capital-intensive and highly competitive nature of the market.
Competition Across Multiple Fronts Strains Resources
JD continues to face competitive pressure across pricing, logistics and user acquisition. PDD Holdings PDD maintains aggressive discounting and social commerce promotions, forcing JD to sustain elevated marketing spend. Marketing expenses surged 110.5% year over year in the third quarter, largely driven by promotions tied to new business initiatives. Alibaba BABA is deepening its asset-light marketplace strategy, sustaining pricing pressure in categories such as apparel and general merchandise where margins remain thin.
Globally, Amazon AMZN sets expectations for delivery speed and membership benefits, raising the bar for logistics-led platforms. Simultaneously, JD’s diversification into food delivery, international expansion, and lower-tier market penetration through Jingxi is absorbing significant capital. Free cash flow declined to RMB 12.6 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis as of September 30, down from RMB 33.6 billion a year earlier, reflecting investment-heavy growth and working capital needs.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JD's fourth-quarter 2025 EPS is pegged at 56 cents, unchanged over the past 30 days, down 45.10% year over year, signaling continued profitability pressure. Although JD holds RMB210.5 billion in cash, sustained investment limits flexibility. PDD Holdings’ lean model and Alibaba’s restructuring highlight execution challenges, while Amazon’s high-margin businesses underscore JD’s need for tighter cost discipline to rebuild confidence.
JD.com, Inc. Price and Consensus
User Momentum Provides Growth Foundation
JD continues to demonstrate strong user momentum. Annual active customers surpassed 700 million in October 2025, while quarterly active users and shopping frequency both rose more than 40% year over year in the third quarter, providing a solid base for future revenue growth.
Food delivery has contributed to user acquisition, with early cohorts showing cross-category purchasing behavior. The JD Plus membership base continues to expand, supporting higher engagement and lifetime value. Within core retail, JD generated revenues of RMB 250.6 billion in the third quarter, with operating margin improving to 5.9% from 5.2% a year earlier.
General merchandise revenues accelerated 18.8% year over year, while marketplace and marketing revenues increased 23.7%, driven by rising merchant participation. These higher-margin services help offset pressure from capital-intensive segments. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JD’s fourth-quarter 2025 revenues is pegged at $51.61 billion, up 8.57% year over year, highlighting platform resilience, though incremental gains are likely absorbed by ongoing investments.
Valuation Considerations
JD shares appear undervalued, supported by a Value Score of B. The stock trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 9.33x, well below the industry average of 23.69x and the sector average of 24.52x. In comparison, PDD Holdings trades at 9.88x, Alibaba at 18.97x and Amazon at 28.49x, suggesting JD’s valuation discount.
The valuation discount reflects a transition phase rather than structural weakness. Ongoing investments in food delivery, logistics and international expansion are broadening JD’s growth runway and enhancing its ecosystem depth, even as near-term profitability remains under pressure. As these initiatives mature and operating efficiency improves, the current valuation gap could narrow, offering potential upside over time while warranting patience at current levels.
JD’s Shares Trade at a Discount
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion
JD’s recent underperformance reflects a period of heavy reinvestment and elevated competitive pressure rather than a deterioration in its core franchise. The company continues to show resilience in user engagement and revenue mix, while valuation offers downside support. However, margin recovery remains gradual as food delivery and expansion initiatives weigh on near-term profitability. With earnings visibility still evolving, upside catalysts appear more medium term in nature.
JD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting prudent investors may consider holding positions while waiting for attractive entry points in the future. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited

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