Alibaba.com Plans To Boost Spending

阿里巴巴网络有限公司(Alibaba.com Ltd., 简称：阿里巴巴)宣布第四季度净利润下滑57%，部分原因在于上年同期产生的大笔一次性收益。阿里巴巴经营一家针对企业的在线商贸网站。但阿里巴巴同时宣称其付费会员数量第四季度剧增，虽然利润空间收窄，但公司仍将继续推行在扩充员工队伍开拓海外市场方面加大开支的计划。Bloomberg News阿里巴巴首席执行长卫哲阿里巴巴宣布其截至12月31日的3个月净利润从上年同期的人民币4.653亿元下滑至1.994亿元（合2920万美元）。阿里巴巴为阿里巴巴集团的上市子公司。雅虎(Yahoo Inc.)持有阿里巴巴集团39%的股份。阿里巴巴第四财季收入从人民币6.346亿元增加到8.059亿元。阿里巴巴的网站为小型生产厂商与全球潜在买家牵线搭桥。这些生产厂商绝大多数都在中国。阿里巴巴的收入大部分来自向卖家提供排名和相关服务而收取的费用。由于阿里巴巴在2007年第四财季首次公开募股出现超额认购，获得了丰厚的利息收入，因此此次公布的08年第四财季净利润与上年同期的比值有所失真。阿里巴巴发言人说，排除上年同期与首次公开募股相关的收益，阿里巴巴08年第四财季利润较上年增长74%。阿里巴巴还宣布，排除财务收益，第四财季营业利润率为22%，比上年同期的29%有所下降。阿里巴巴表示净利润下滑的原因在于人力和营销成本增加。首席执行长卫哲告诉记者，他预计今年利润率会因市场营销和新增员工方面的额外投资而进一步下滑。他没有给出具体的预期。卫哲说，今年是阿里巴巴的投资年。阿里巴巴称，虽然中国出口产品需求滑坡，但去年第三和第四季度新会员数量出现创纪录的增长。卫哲说，阿里巴巴计划今年新增2,000-3,000名员工，人力成本将增加25%-30%。公司还将增加海外营销支出，包括在美国投入3,000万美元。卫哲说，我们仍然认为美国是全球最大的消费国。阿里巴巴宣布，其2008年全年净利润为人民币12.1亿元，较2007年的9.678亿元增长25%。排除与首次公开募股相关的收益，去年净利润增幅为95%。Aaron Back相关阅读阿里巴巴第四季度净利润下降57% 2009-03-19淘宝网08年交易额增长逾一倍 2009-02-11 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日12:00', '1688.HK'));阿里巴巴网络有限公司（简称：阿里巴巴）英文名称：Alibaba.com Ltd.总部地点：香港上市地点：香港交易所股票代码：1688


Alibaba.com Ltd., which operates an online merchandise-trading site for businesses, said fourth-quarter net profit fell 57%, partly because of a large one-time gain a year earlier.But the Chinese company also said its paying membership grew sharply in the latest period and that it will continue with plans to invest in expanding its staff and overseas marketing despite narrowing profit margins.Alibaba.com, the listed unit of Alibaba Group, which is 39%-owned by Yahoo Inc., said its net profit for the three months ended Dec. 31 fell to 199.4 million yuan ($29.2 million) from 465.3 million yuan in the same period a year earlier.Revenue rose 27% to 805.9 million yuan from 634.6 million yuan.Alibaba.com's site matches smaller manufacturers, mostly in China, with potential buyers around the world. It makes most of its money charging fees to the sellers for listings and related services.The net-profit-figure comparison in the latest period was partly distorted by a hefty gain Alibaba.com booked in the fourth quarter of 2007 related to interest income from oversubscriptions to its initial public offering.A company spokeswoman said that if the IPO-related gain in the year-earlier period were excluded, Alibaba.com's profit in the fourth quarter of 2008 would have increased 74%.Still, Alibaba.com reported an operating-profit margin, which excludes gains or losses from financial income, of 22% in the fourth quarter, down from about 29% in the same quarter of 2007.Alibaba.com cited higher staff and marketing costs, and Chief Executive David Wei told reporters he expects profit margins to fall further this year on additional investment in marketing and new employees. He didn't give a specific projection.This year 'is a year of investment for Alibaba,' Mr. Wei said.Despite slumping demand for Chinese exports, Alibaba.com said it had record gains in new members to its site in the third and fourth quarters.The company plans to hire 2,000 to 3,000 new employees this year, which will raise staff costs by 25% to 30%, Mr. Wei said. The company is also beefing up spending on overseas marketing, including $30 million for the U.S.'We still see the U.S. as the largest consumption power in the world,' Mr. Wei said.Alibaba.com said its full-year net profit rose 25% in 2008 to 1.21 billion yuan from 967.8 million yuan in 2007. Excluding the IPO-related gains, its net profit would have jumped 95% last year, the company said.Aaron Back