Alibaba signals faster AI payoff, margin gains halfway through US$56 billion capex plan

Alibaba Group Holding is expected to further accelerate cloud growth, expand operating margins and achieve faster payback on artificial intelligence investments, analysts say, as the Chinese tech giant reaches the halfway mark of its massive 380 billion yuan (US$56 billion) AI infrastructure spending plan. “The most important incremental message, in our view, is that cloud growth has not yet peaked,” Nomura analysts said in a research note on Friday. The comment followed Alibaba’s Thursday...