BABA Alibaba Group Holding Limited

By Robert Barba 

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s sales rose 38% in the latest quarter, beating expectations.

Revenue for the Chinese e-commerce giant was 161.45 billion yuan ($23.19 billion) in the quarter ending Dec. 31, up from 117.28 billion yuan a year earlier.

Analysts polled by FactSet had expected sales of 159.7 billion yuan.

Earnings per American depositary share were 19.55 yuan compared with 12.64 yuan a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, earnings were 18.19 yuan per American depositary share. Analysts had expected 15.91 yuan.

Mobile monthly active users on its China retail marketplaces were 824 million, up 39% from a year earlier. Annual active consumers was 711 million, up 18%.

In its prepared remarks, the company didn't detail how the coronavirus is affecting its business other than saying it is trying to support its constituents.

"We mobilized Alibaba ecosystem's powerful forces of commerce and technology to fully support the fight against the outbreak, ensure supply of daily necessities for our communities and introduced practical relief measures for our merchants," said Daniel Zhang, chairman and chief executive, in prepared remarks.

Write to Robert Barba at Robert.Barba@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 13, 2020 07:26 ET (12:26 GMT)

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