Alibaba’s Strategic Pivot: A Dual Push in Autonomous Logistics and AI

Alibaba US01609W1027

The Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba is aggressively expanding its empire far beyond its core online retail operations. Two significant strategic moves—a multi-billion dollar logistics merger and a major advancement in artificial intelligence—signal the company's drive for technological leadership. With its shares still down year-to-date, investors are weighing whether these initiatives can sustainably reignite growth.

This strategic shift coincides with supportive policy tailwinds from Beijing. The Chinese government has unveiled an action plan for "AI + Manufacturing," designed to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, and quantum technology into industrial processes. This creates a favorable regulatory climate for technology conglomerates like Alibaba.

Capitalizing on this momentum, Alibaba is intensifying its competition with U.S. rivals such as OpenAI and Google. The company recently introduced a new generative AI model named "Qwen3-Max-Thinking." Alibaba claims this model outperforms leading American counterparts in complex benchmark evaluations, specifically citing a test known as "Humanity's Last Exam." The associated Qwen application already boasts over 100 million monthly active users, highlighting the technology's growing importance within the corporate ecosystem.

Creating a Logistics Powerhouse Through Merger

A central development is a major deal involving Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao. In late January, it was announced that Cainiao is merging its autonomous driving division with Chinese robovan developer Zelostech. The transaction carries an estimated valuation of approximately $2 billion.

The agreement aims to establish an extensive network for unmanned freight transport. The combined entity plans to operate more than 20,000 robotic delivery vehicles under the Cainiao Robovan brand. In a statement, Zelostech clarified that while Cainiao is contributing capital and business segments, it will not become the controlling majority shareholder. Instead, both parties are pursuing a deep strategic integration to enhance efficiency, particularly in the express delivery and consumer goods distribution sectors.

Financial Performance and Market Reaction

To date, the market's response to this technological repositioning has been muted. Alibaba's stock currently trades around €144.80, reflecting a decline of just over 7% since the start of the year.

The impact of these substantial investments in logistics and AI—whether they will pressure the balance sheet or begin to generate returns—should become clearer in the coming weeks. The company is scheduled to release its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, with an expected announcement date of February 18 or 19. Market attention will likely focus on revenue trends, following the previous quarter's reported sales of 247.8 billion yuan.

@ boerse-global.de | US01609W1027 ALIBABA’S