A confidential annual conference followed by the world's elite has A.I. on the plan

May 19, 2023: Alibaba announced is deciding to spin off its cloud division as a separate, publicly traded firm, while the Chinese e-commerce titan’s quarterly earnings missed anticipations.

“We are taking concrete steps towards which reveals value from our firms and are pleased to inform you that our board has approved a full spinoff of the Cloud Intelligence team via a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, with the view for it to become a publicly listed company,” the CEO of the company, Daniel Zhang stated.

Alibaba shares were down 2.4% in early U.S. trading, adding an initial drop of around 1% shortly following the earnings report, as investors reacted to the firm’s results and spinoff plans.

The report is Alibaba’s first since splitting into six teams and is also the first whose digits reflect China’s reopening. The country in December abruptly ended its Covid controls, such as lockdowns and travel restrictions.

In its report for the financial fourth quarter, Alibaba stated that it plans to spin off its cloud division as a newly listed firm, subject to restructuring certain assets, liabilities and contracts, and regulatory approvals.

Alibaba is a significant player in cloud computing in its home country and increasingly wants to compete with set U.S. giants, such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, stated Alibaba’s cloud spinoff plan was a “no-brainer strategic move that we think adds to the sum of the valuation of the value on BABA.”

The company announced plans to raise money from outside investors for its international digital commerce group, including the Lazada and AliExpress online shopping platforms.

Alibaba also stated that it intends to launch an initial public offer for its Cainiao Smart Logistics unit, which currently holds a 67% stake. The IPO is slated to meet in the next 12 to 18 months.

Alibaba’s board approved the beginning of an exploration of listing its Freshippo retail business in the company in six to 12 months, the company said.