Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) witnessed a significant rise in its share price following its second-quarter earnings release, even as the company’s revenue and profit figures came in below analyst expectations. The market’s bullish response was primarily fueled by a remarkable acceleration within the company’s cloud computing division, a surge directly attributed to rising demand for artificial intelligence services.
This renewed investor confidence prompted several major financial institutions to revise their outlooks on the Chinese e-commerce giant. Goldman Sachs reaffirmed its Buy rating while lifting its price target to $163, up from $147. The firm’s analysis anticipates near-term pressures from the company’s aggressive investments in quick commerce but projects those losses will be cut in half by December due to a strategic shift toward higher-quality users and improved operational efficiency.
In a similar move, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) upgraded its price target to $170 from $140, maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. The bank’s analysts pointed to Alibaba’s rapidly scaling food delivery and quick commerce operations, noting they are now reaching a level of efficiency that mirrors the successful path of competitor Meituan.
JPMorgan highlighted management’s ambitious goal to achieve RMB 1 trillion in Gross Merchandise Value for its quick commerce segment within three years. The bank’s optimistic forecast is underpinned by expectations of sustained double-digit revenue growth, driven by strong performance in cloud, international commerce, and core commerce metrics.
The collective analyst sentiment suggests that while Alibaba’s core retail faces challenges, its deep investments in high-growth areas like artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure are beginning to yield substantial returns, positioning the company for a stronger financial trajectory.