Alibaba’s Cloud Division Turns Profitable

January 27, 2021

Alibaba Group reported financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020. Alibaba achieved profitability for its cloud computing business for the first time. The firm had adjusted EBITA of 24 million yuan ($3 million) for its cloud business in the December quarter. The profit contrasts to a loss of 356 million yuan in the same period in 2019.

“China was the only major economy to achieve positive GDP growth last year. Thanks to the rapid recovery of China’s economy, Alibaba had another very healthy quarter,” said Daniel Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group. “We achieved another successful 11.11 Global Shopping Festival by stimulating consumption, satisfying consumer demands and supporting the business recovery of merchants in response to the impact of the pandemic. Our cloud computing business continues to expand market leadership and show strong growth, reflecting the massive potential of China’s nascent cloud computing market as well as our years of investment in technology. Looking ahead, we are confident that we will continue to create value for our customers, lead with innovation and make our contributions to society.”

“We delivered another solid quarter, with revenue growth of 37% year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA up 22% year-over-year, while our strong free cash flow enabled us to further invest in strategic areas,” said Maggie Wu, Chief Financial Officer of Alibaba Group. “We are pleased that our Alibaba Cloud business achieved positive adjusted EBITA during the quarter and Cainiao Network was operating cash flow positive. These progresses reflect our long-term approach to organically incubate and expand businesses from launch to profitability.”