Alibaba Q2 2025 Earnings Beat on Cloud, AI
Alibaba Q2 2025 earnings beat as cloud and AI revenue accelerated; heavy AI/cloud investment pushed profits lower and reshaped near-term cash flow.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Revenue beat driven by Cloud Intelligence Group; cloud revenue rose 34% to $5.6 billion.
- Total revenue was $34.8 billion, up 5% year-over-year above consensus.
- Net profit fell about 52-53% as heavy AI and cloud reinvestment compressed profitability.
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Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) reported fiscal Q2 2025 earnings on November 25, 2025, beating revenue expectations as demand for cloud services linked to artificial intelligence boosted sales. Management said near-term profit measures would fluctuate amid renewed reinvestment in AI and infrastructure.
Cloud and AI Drive Revenue Growth
Revenue from Alibaba’s Cloud Intelligence Group rose 34% year-over-year to $5.6 billion, marking the fastest segment growth in four quarters and exceeding analyst estimates by about 5%. Adjusted EBITA for the group increased 35% year-over-year. AI-related product revenue posted triple-digit growth for the ninth consecutive quarter. The company’s Qwen AI chatbot reached 10 million downloads within its first week after launch.
Profit Decline Reflects Heavy Investment
Alibaba reported total revenue of $34.8 billion for the quarter, up 5% year-over-year and slightly above consensus. Net profit fell about 52–53% year-over-year, a decline management attributed to intense competition in e-commerce and food delivery, alongside substantial investments in cloud and AI capabilities. Consolidated adjusted EBITA dropped 78% to RMB 9.1 billion, while non-GAAP net income fell 72% to RMB 10.4 billion.
Free cash flow was negative RMB 21.8 billion, mainly due to capital spending on cloud and AI infrastructure. Over the past four quarters, Alibaba disclosed RMB 120 billion ($16.8 billion) in capital expenditure on AI and cloud infrastructure, part of a previously announced three-year RMB 380 billion ($53 billion) investment plan. The company said it may exceed that plan to meet surging demand and reaffirmed its long-term commitment to AI and cloud. CFO Toby Xu noted that near-term profitability will fluctuate as profits and free cash flow are reinvested into infrastructure. Management did not provide formal guidance for upcoming quarters.
Customer-management revenue in China commerce grew 10% year-over-year. International commerce returned to profitability, posting adjusted EBITA of RMB 162 million compared with a loss of RMB 2.9 billion a year earlier.
The results were released at 8:09 a.m. ET on November 25, 2025; shares rose on strength in cloud and AI revenue.
