Chinese online retail behemoth Alibaba is set to report its March quarter and full-year results on Thursday. Analysts expect no major surprises as the company is likely to post record earnings and revenues. About ten days prior to the end of its fiscal year, Alibaba said its gross merchandise volume (GMV) had surpassed 3 trillion yuan or $476 billion. The company’s Executive VP Joseph Tsai said at the time that if Alibaba were a province, it would be the sixth largest provincial economy in China.
Analysts forecast 100 billion yuan in revenues
For the March quarter, Wall Street analysts on average expect the Hangzhou-based company to report 3.62 yuan per share in earnings and 23.18 billion yuan in revenues. Full year EPS is estimated at 17.29 yuan on revenues of 100.11 billion yuan. In a research note to investors, BNP Paribas analyst Ling Vey-sern described Alibaba as “the top online destination for buyers and sellers in China.”
Ling Vey-sern estimates that the company’s net profit would reach 43.15 billion yuan and revenues would hit 100.19 billion yuan in the fiscal year ending March 2016. Daiwa Capital Markets expects 42.59 billion yuan in profits and 99.52 billion yuan in revenue. In the fiscal year ending March 2015, the e-commerce giant had reported 76.2 billion yuan in revenues and 24.32 billion yuan in profits.
Alibaba’s acquisitions provide long-term potential
Last month, the Jack Ma-led company joined the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) in an attempt to collaborate with brands in fighting counterfeit goods. Alibaba has long been accused of turning a blind eye to the rampant sales of fake goods on its Taobao and Tmall platforms. The IACC is the world’s largest non-profit group focused on fighting counterfeiting and piracy.
BNP Paribas said Alibaba’s continued expansion and acquisition of synergistic businesses such as entertainment, media, food delivery, and other local services could provide longer-term monetization potential. Last month, Alibaba confirmed that it had purchased controlling stake in the Southeast Asian e-commerce player Lazada for $1 billion. The company is looking to expand in overseas territories to lower its reliance on China.
