This Chinese Tech Giant Quietly Cut Its Buyback 80% to Fund AI

Alibaba made a significant shift in capital allocation during the June 2026 quarter, reducing share repurchases substantially while redirecting cash toward artificial intelligence infrastructure development. The company repurchased 13.4 million ordinary shares for US$162 million, compared with 56 million ordinary shares for US$815 million in the same quarter a year prior, representing approximately an 80% reduction in American Depositary Share buybacks. The company maintained US$19.3 billion in