Alibaba reported a strong finish to its fiscal year, with revenue in the three months to March up 39 percent year-on-year to CNY 24.184 billion (USD 3.751 billion), its strongest quarterly growth in the past year. The growth was again led by mobile users, with mobile revenue increasing 149 percent to CNY 13.084 billion. The cloud computing and infrastructure business also contributed to growth, with revenues up 175 percent year-on-year to CNY 1.066 billion.
Alibaba said mobile purchases accounted for 73 percent of gross merchandise value acquired on its retail sites in China. The total GMV in the quarter was CNY 742 billion, up 24 percent from a year earlier. There were 423 million active buyers on the sites, up 16 percent from a year ago, and 410 million used mobile devices to make purchases. The average revenue per buyer rose to CNY 189 in the quarter.
Alibaba's adjusted EBITDA rose 34 percent to CNY 11.498 billion the final quarter, while the margin dipped to 48 percent from 49. Alibaba said the margin may come under further pressure as it invests in new services and acquired businesses. Net profit was up 85 percent to CNY 5.314 billion, helped by profits on asset disposals. The increased investment as well as higher taxes and share buybacks led to a drop in Alibaba's cash position to CNY 111.5 billion at the end of March from CNY 118.3 billion three months earlier.
