Chinese giant Alibaba Next target: Southeast Asia

Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA, Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 9988) was established in 1999, and Jack Ma is the main founder. It is a Chinese company that provides an online trading platform for e-commerce, with dual headquarters in Hangzhou and Beijing. The scope of services includes B2B trade, online retail, shopping search engines, third-party payment and cloud computing services. The group's subsidiaries include Alibaba B2B, Taobao, Tmall, Yitao, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Juhuasuan, AliExpress, Alibaba International Trading Market, Ele.me, Flying Pig, Youku, Hema Fresh, Ali Pictures, Cainiao Network, Gaode Maps, Lazada, Daraz, etc.

Performance increased by 30% year-on-year

Based on the performance of the entire fiscal year, the group's revenue increased by 41% year-on-year to 717.3 billion yuan, and the adjusted net profit was approximately 172 billion yuan, an increase of 30% year-on-year.

Chief Financial Officer Wu Wei said that the total annual revenue in fiscal year 2022 is expected to exceed 930 billion yuan. In view of the market potential and the proven strength of the group’s profit and cash flow, it plans to increase all incremental profits and additional profits in fiscal year 2022. Capital investment is used to support platform merchants, and to invest in new businesses and key strategic areas, which will help increase consumers' consumption share and enter new potential markets.

Last quarter, Alibaba's core business revenue rose 72% year-on-year to 161.4 billion yuan, and adjusted EBITA (earnings before interest, tax and amortization) increased 9% year-on-year to 30.68 billion yuan. Alibaba Cloud turned losses at the end of last year and maintained profit in the last quarter. Adjusted EBITA recorded 308 million yuan. Cainiao Logistics achieved positive operating cash flow in fiscal 2021.

CMB International issued a report earlier, stating that Alibaba’s core e-commerce transaction volume in the past fiscal year is expected to be stable, but profit margins will continue to be diluted. Because Alibaba is currently focusing on potential market expansion rather than profitability, I believe This trend will continue this year.

Alibaba was fined RMB 18.228 billion by the China Municipal Supervision Bureau for its involvement in monopolistic behaviors such as "choose one out of two". CMB International believes that the result of the punishment was better than expected. Because of the lack of asset disposal or other major adjustments, it was fined by the China Municipal Supervision Bureau. Alibaba has less business impact.

Invest in Vietnam to expand business in Southeast Asia

In May 2021, Alibaba and its partners will invest US$400 million (equivalent to HK$3.12 billion) in the retail division of the Vietnamese conglomerate Masan Group Corp. The transaction will expand the online grocery business of the Chinese e-commerce giant in Southeast Asia.

According to Bloomberg, Alibaba and Baring Asia Investment Fund lead a consortium that will hold a 5.5% stake in The CrownX. The CrownX holds Masan Group’s interests in Masan Consumer Holdings and VinCommerce; Masan will own an 80.2% stake in The CrownX after the transaction.

According to a statement, this transaction means The CrownX's pre-investment valuation was US$6.9 billion.

As part of the transaction, the Vietnamese retail company will cooperate with Alibaba's Southeast Asian subsidiary Lazada to expand its digital business in the country. As competition in China's domestic market and regulatory scrutiny intensify, Jack Ma's company is seeking to expand its business in Southeast Asia, a region with a population of 650 million.