BABA Stock Heads For Fifth Week Of Loss: Alibaba Reportedly Makes $1.5B Play For Pupu Amid China Regulatory Scrutiny

Stock is facing pressure from regulatory scrutiny, intense e-commerce competition, and heavy AI spending.

• Alibaba's reported bid for Pupu tops a previous $600 million offer from Sun Art Retail.
• Chinese regulators criticized major e-commerce platforms over shopping festival promotions.
• Alibaba is balancing intense e-commerce competition with heavy AI investments. 

Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) is on track for a fifth straight week of losses as investors weigh mounting regulatory and competitive pressures, even as the Chinese tech giant reportedly launched a $1.5 billion bid for grocery delivery platform Pupu in a push to strengthen its foothold in local commerce. 

The stock has declined 23% in 2026, reflecting growing concern that the Chinese technology giant is spending heavily on multiple fronts while seeing little immediate benefit to earnings. 

BABA’s Bid Ignites Grocery Delivery Battle In China 

According to a Bloomberg report, Alibaba’s proposal for Pupu exceeds a previously reported $600 million proposal from Sun Art Retail, which is backed by private equity firm DCP Capital.

Alibaba’s bid surfaced shortly after another online services firm, Meituan, moved to acquire Dingdong Fresh Holding in a deal valued at roughly $717 million.

China’s leading e-commerce and delivery platforms are targeting grocery and local retail services, areas that still offer substantial room for online expansion. Alibaba, Meituan and JD.com  (JD) have been competing aggressively to secure assets that can help drive future growth.

Alibaba Group stock inched 0.8% lower overnight ahead of Friday. 

BABA And JD Face Fresh Pressure Over Discount Practices 

The update comes as Alibaba and JD.com stocks came under pressure after Chinese authorities publicly rebuked several major online retail platforms over promotional practices tied to the country’s annual midyear shopping event. 

The regulators questioned claims surrounding large-scale consumer subsidies advertised by several platforms. 

A separate Bloomberg report stated that authorities argued that some companies failed to adequately explain how much financial support shoppers actually received through promotional campaigns.

Heavy AI Spending Tests BABA’s Financial Strength 

Alibaba is facing challenges in both its online shopping and cloud businesses. Investors are concerned about whether the company can keep spending heavily on AI infrastructure while also holding onto its market share in China's highly competitive e-commerce market.

Alibaba's cloud business is growing quickly thanks to strong demand for its AI services. However, expanding its AI infrastructure is expensive. Alibaba said it plans to spend more than its previously announced RMB380 billion ($56 billion) on AI over the next three years, which is putting pressure on profits and cash flow.

The company’s fiscal first-quarter adjusted earnings per American Depositary Shares (ADS) of RMB 0.62 ($0.091) declined 95% year-on-year.  

BABA Retail Traders View 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘bearish’ territory. While retail message volume increased 105% in the past month, watchers remained flat. 

A user said, These ignorants have high expectations for an immediate bounce and/or recovery!!!!!!  Frustration & anger is all that is left.”

BABA stock has declined by over 3% in the last 12 months. 

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