• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
TechAlibaba Group
Asia

A series of bad news stories—including an abandoned cloud spin-off plan—wipe billions from Alibaba’s market cap

By
Lionel Lim
Lionel Lim
Asia Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lionel Lim
Lionel Lim
Asia Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 17, 2023, 4:26 AM ET
Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. signage outside the company's offices in Beijing.
Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. signage outside the company's offices in Beijing.Kuang Da—Jiemian News/VCG via Getty Images

The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is now worth $20 billion less, following a day of unveiled share sales, abandoned corporate plans, and a near-double-digit plunge in stock prices.

Recommended Video

The company’s Hong Kong-traded shares fell by almost 10% on Friday. Post-drop, Alibaba is now worth just over half of its arch-rival, WeChat owner Tencent. (Alibaba is valued at $201 billion, Tencent at $391 billion)

The plunge in share prices followed a series of bad news stories for the e-commerce company, prime among which was a big reversal in corporate strategy.

Alibaba is shelving its plans to spin-off its cloud computing unit as an independent company, Alibaba announced on Thursday as part of its earnings release.

The company blamed U.S. tech export restrictions for the decision. In October, the Biden administration expanded rules barring the sale of advanced chips to China, making it more difficult for Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent to get their hands on the advanced semiconductors needed for data centers and AI applications.

“We believe that these new restrictions may materially and adversely affect Cloud Intelligence Group’s ability to offer products and services and to perform under existing contracts, thereby negatively affecting our results of operations and financial condition,” the company said in a statement.

“Inability to access H800 and A800 Nvidia chips [two models particularly useful for AI] creates a huge issue in finding computing power,” Ray Wang, CEO of tech and advisory firm Constellation Research, says. “Overall China-U.S. geopolitical tensions are the root cause resulting in global companies having to make tough choices and choose sides.”

Alibaba’s plan to spin-off the cloud division was part of a broader re-organization of the sprawling company. Earlier this year, Alibaba announced that it would transform itself into a holding company, and pursue listings of its different divisions. The company would retain majority ownership of the newly-public companies, with one exception: the cloud division, which would become fully independent.

Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics unit, plans to have a $1 billion IPO in Hong Kong later this year.

Alibaba Cloud is a significant part of the company’s business. The unit generated 12% of Alibaba’s revenue last quarter, according to an earnings statement released Thursday.

On Thursday, Alibaba said that the new U.S. rules meant that a full spin-off of the cloud division may not “achieve the intended effect of shareholder value enhancement”.

Even more bad news

Alibaba’s abandoned spin-off plan isn’t the only bad news to come out about the company in the past day.

Family trusts from Alibaba founder Jack Ma will sell 10 million American Depository shares in Alibaba for about $871 million, according to filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The sale is part of a sell-down plan initiated on Aug. 16, and will be completed by Nov. 21.

Alibaba’s fintech affiliate company Ant Group also earned 65% less profit last quarter compared to a year ago, according to Fortune’s calculations based on Alibaba’s earnings reports. Ant Group recently paid an almost $1 billion fine to Chinese regulators for allegedly violating consumer protection and anti-money-laundering rules. Alibaba owns about a third of Ant Group, which was also founded by Jack Ma.

Analysts viewed the massive fine imposed on Ant Group, as well as a $410 million fine on Tencent, as a possible end to Beijing’s years-long crackdown on the country’s tech sector—which arguably started when officials killed Ant Group’s planned IPO in November 2020.

Even as Beijing eases its pressure on the tech sector, Alibaba still faces a weaker Chinese economy, as consumers scale back on spending. The e-commerce is trying to bounce back from the pandemic, but now has to contend with newer players like PDD Holdings and platforms like Kuaishou. Alibaba did not reveal its revenue figures from its mega-shopping festival Singles Day, held on Nov. 11, for the second year in a row.

Alibaba generated $31 billion in revenue during the quarter ending Sep. 30, a 9% increase year-on-year. The company earned $3.7 billion in net income, versus a $3.1 billion loss during the same quarter last year.

Join our exclusive webinar on May 28, featuring tech leaders from Orange, Mars, Reckitt, and Saint-Gobain. Apply to attend and receive Fortune’s editorial takeaways.
About the Author
By Lionel LimAsia Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Lionel Lim is a Singapore-based reporter covering the Asia-Pacific region.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Elon Musk puts one hand to his chin and he looks up. He is in front of a blue "World Economic Forum" background.
InvestingSpaceX
‘SpaceX is his new baby at the expense of Tesla’: Elon Musk’s IPO could be bad news for his EV maker, investors warns
By Sasha RogelbergMay 21, 2026
5 hours ago
matthew prince
AILayoffs
Cloudflare posted record revenue, then cut 20% of its workforce. CEO Matthew Prince says AI has made an entire category of workers obsolete
By Jake AngeloMay 21, 2026
5 hours ago
Prakash Arunkundrum, HP’s first-ever chief strategy and transformation officer, bets edge AI will ‘bring the token cost down’
AIConsumer electronics
Prakash Arunkundrum, HP’s first-ever chief strategy and transformation officer, bets edge AI will ‘bring the token cost down’
By Angelica AngMay 21, 2026
5 hours ago
malaysia
CybersecuritySocial Media
Malaysia slams ‘grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting’ TikTok memes about its king
By The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
7 hours ago
Meta laid off 10% of its workforce as Mark Zuckerberg warns that in the AI race ‘success isn’t a given’
AILayoffs
Meta laid off 10% of its workforce as Mark Zuckerberg warns that in the AI race ‘success isn’t a given’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 21, 2026
7 hours ago
bock
Cybersecurityfraud
Minnesota fraudster at center of $250 million scam, controversial ICE crackdown sentenced to 42 years
By Tim Sullivan and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
11 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.