Premarket Trading Highlights: Micron, Alibaba, Align Technology, Five Below
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy BABA?
Source: CNBC
- Micron Technology's Strong Quarter: Micron reported adjusted earnings of $12.20 per share, significantly exceeding the $9.31 consensus estimate, with revenue of $23.86 billion surpassing the expected $20.07 billion, yet shares fell nearly 7% in premarket trading due to investor concerns over increased spending.
- Alibaba's Disappointing Results: Alibaba's fourth-quarter revenue of 284.8 billion yuan fell short of the 290.7 billion yuan estimate, with net income plummeting 66% year-over-year to 15.6 billion yuan, leading to a 4.5% drop in U.S. premarket trading, reflecting market worries about its growth outlook.
- Align Technology's Stock Surge: Align Technology shares jumped 7% following news that Elliott Investment Management acquired a significant stake, as the activist investor seeks to enhance the stock price, indicating market optimism about the company's future potential.
- Five Below's Positive Earnings: Five Below reported adjusted earnings of $4.31 per share on revenue of $1.73 billion, both exceeding analyst expectations, and provided an optimistic first-quarter guidance of $1.57 to $1.69 per share, resulting in a 7% increase in stock price.
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Analyst Views on BABA
Wall Street analysts forecast BABA stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 136.570
Low
180.00
Averages
203.09
High
230.00
Current: 136.570
Low
180.00
Averages
203.09
High
230.00
About BABA
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd is an investment holding company mainly engaged in the provision of technology infrastructure and marketing platforms. The Company operates its business through nine segments. The China Commerce Retail segment is engaged in the China commerce retail business. The China Commerce Wholesale segment is mainly engaged in the operation of 1688.com. The Cloud Intelligence segment provides cloud services. The International Commerce Retail segment provides customer management services, sales of goods and logistics services. The International Commerce Wholesale segment is mainly engaged in the operation of Alibaba.com. The Cainiao Represents Logistics Services segment provides fulfilment services. The Local Services segment’s revenue includes platform commissions, logistics services revenue. The Digital Media and Entertainment segment engages in the operation of Youku and Alibaba. The All Others segment is mainly engaged in the Sun Art, Freshippo and other business.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Micron Earnings Miss: Micron reported record revenue and profit, yet its stock fell over 5% as it failed to meet high investor expectations, raising concerns about its ability to sustain memory demand amidst a competitive landscape.
- Alibaba's Performance Decline: Alibaba's adjusted EBITDA fell by 57%, partly due to increased investments in user experience and technology, although AI-related product revenue achieved triple-digit growth for the tenth consecutive quarter, indicating ongoing innovation efforts despite financial setbacks.
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- Micron Technology's Strong Quarter: Micron reported adjusted earnings of $12.20 per share, significantly exceeding the $9.31 consensus estimate, with revenue of $23.86 billion surpassing the expected $20.07 billion, yet shares fell nearly 7% in premarket trading due to investor concerns over increased spending.
- Alibaba's Disappointing Results: Alibaba's fourth-quarter revenue of 284.8 billion yuan fell short of the 290.7 billion yuan estimate, with net income plummeting 66% year-over-year to 15.6 billion yuan, leading to a 4.5% drop in U.S. premarket trading, reflecting market worries about its growth outlook.
- Align Technology's Stock Surge: Align Technology shares jumped 7% following news that Elliott Investment Management acquired a significant stake, as the activist investor seeks to enhance the stock price, indicating market optimism about the company's future potential.
- Five Below's Positive Earnings: Five Below reported adjusted earnings of $4.31 per share on revenue of $1.73 billion, both exceeding analyst expectations, and provided an optimistic first-quarter guidance of $1.57 to $1.69 per share, resulting in a 7% increase in stock price.
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- Financial Overview: Alibaba reported total revenue of RMB 284.8 billion ($40.7 billion) for Q3, reflecting a modest 2% year-over-year increase, yet falling short of analysts' expectations of RMB 289.72 billion, indicating sluggish revenue growth.
- Profitability Decline: Adjusted earnings per ADS were RMB 7.09, down 74% year-over-year, primarily due to high expenditures on quick commerce, user experience initiatives, and AI infrastructure, leading to a significant drop in profitability.
- Cloud Intelligence Growth: Despite the overall profitability decline, Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence unit achieved a remarkable 36% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by strong demand for AI-related products, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of triple-digit growth in this segment.
- Market Reaction: Alibaba's stock traded over 4% lower in Thursday's premarket, reflecting investor disappointment with the earnings report, which may impact future investor confidence in the company.
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- Disappointing Earnings: Alibaba's Q3 non-GAAP EPS of $1.01 missed expectations by $0.58, indicating a significant decline in profitability that could negatively impact investor confidence.
- Weak Revenue Growth: The company reported revenue of $40.73 billion, a 6.1% year-over-year increase, yet fell short of expectations by $1.42 billion, reflecting weak market demand that may affect future growth strategies.
- Sharp Decline in Operating Income: Operating income was RMB 10.645 billion (approximately $1.522 billion), down 74% year-over-year, primarily due to a decrease in adjusted EBITA, highlighting challenges in cost control and profitability.
- Impact of Technology Investments: Adjusted EBITA decreased by 57% year-over-year to RMB 23.397 billion (approximately $3.346 billion), mainly due to investments in quick commerce, user experience, and technology, although continued growth in the cloud business provided some offset.
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- Revenue Growth: Alibaba's revenue for Q2 FY2025 reached RMB 284.84 billion (approximately USD 40.73 billion), marking a 2% year-over-year increase, and a 9% increase on a like-for-like basis excluding disposed businesses, indicating resilience in core operations.
- Significant Net Income Decline: Net income fell to RMB 15.63 billion (approximately USD 2.24 billion), a 66% decrease year-over-year, primarily due to a 74% drop in operating income, reflecting the pressure from investments in the quick commerce sector.
- Strong Cloud Business Performance: The Cloud Intelligence Group generated revenue of RMB 43.28 billion (approximately USD 6.19 billion), a 36% year-over-year increase, with AI-related product revenue achieving triple-digit growth for the tenth consecutive quarter, showcasing the returns from ongoing investments in cloud and AI.
- Deteriorating Cash Flow: Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB 36.03 billion (approximately USD 5.15 billion), down 49% year-over-year, while free cash flow dropped to RMB 11.35 billion (approximately USD 1.62 billion), a 71% decline, primarily impacted by investments in quick commerce, highlighting challenges in liquidity management.
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- Market Reaction: Asian tech stocks fell on Thursday due to Iran's attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City and surging oil prices, with South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics dropping 2.23% and 1.8% respectively, reflecting heightened concerns over supply chain disruptions.
- Helium Supply Tightness: The missile attacks on Qatar's natural gas facilities have tightened helium supplies, a crucial material for semiconductor manufacturing, as Qatar produces over a third of the world's helium, potentially increasing production costs for semiconductor companies.
- Macro Risk Impact: Analysts noted that current market fluctuations are primarily driven by the Middle East conflict and rising oil prices, with macro risks overshadowing company fundamentals, potentially leading to deferred revenues in the semiconductor sector ranging from $1.5 billion to $3 billion.
- Supply Chain Vulnerability: As the Iran conflict continues, Asia's semiconductor supply chain faces increasing risks, particularly as critical systems supporting high-tech infrastructure and electronics production are disrupted, which could impact future production capabilities.
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