--- title: "Alibaba (BABA) Faces AI Leadership Shakeup Ahead of Earnings. Can Qwen's Growth Drive the Stock?" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/278701641.md" description: "Alibaba (BABA) is set to report earnings on March 19, focusing on its AI initiatives amid leadership changes, including the departure of key figures from its Qwen AI model. CEO Eddie Wu has formed a new task force to emphasize AI's importance. Despite these challenges, Qwen's user base surged from 31 million to 203 million in February, and AI tools are being integrated into services like Taobao and Alipay. Analysts predict earnings of $1.72 per share and revenue of $41.96 billion, an 8% increase year-over-year." datetime: "2026-03-11T10:11:06.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/278701641.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278701641.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/278701641.md) --- > Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/278701641.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/278701641.md) # Alibaba (BABA) Faces AI Leadership Shakeup Ahead of Earnings. Can Qwen's Growth Drive the Stock? Alibaba (BABA) is preparing to report earnings next week on March 19 as investors closely watch its push into artificial intelligence. The company is trying to move beyond its traditional e-commerce business and find new growth through AI. ### Claim 70% Off TipRanks Premium - Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions - Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential However, its efforts have recently faced some leadership challenges. Alibaba saw the departure of Lin Junyang, the technical lead widely seen as the face of its Qwen AI model. His exit, along with a few other senior Qwen leaders leaving this year, has raised questions about the stability of Alibaba's AI division. ## **Alibaba Responds to Leadership Changes** To show that AI remains a top priority, CEO Eddie Wu has stepped in directly. He has created a new "Foundation Model Task Force," which includes the Group CTO and the Cloud CTO. By taking a more direct role, Alibaba is signaling that its AI strategy remains a key focus for the company. At the same time, Alibaba has rejected reports of a wider talent exodus. The company recently hired Zhou Hao, a former Google DeepMind scientist, to lead research on improving its AI models. ## **Qwen Is Seeing Rapid Adoption** Despite the leadership shakeup, the numbers show that Qwen is gaining traction with users. The Qwen mobile app saw a sharp jump in users—from 31 million in January to about 203 million in February. The company is also adding AI tools to major services such as Taobao and Alipay, which could help expand adoption across its ecosystem. ## **What Lies Ahead for Alibaba** All eyes are now on March 19, 2026, when Alibaba will report its fiscal third-quarter 2026 financial results. Wall Street analysts expect earnings of $1.72 per share, down from $3.09 in the year-ago quarter. Revenue is projected at about $41.96 billion, representing an 8% year-over-year increase. ### Related Stocks - [ProShares Online Retail ETF (ONLN.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ONLN.US.md) - [GraniteShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF (BABX.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BABX.US.md) - [Global X E-commerce ETF (EBIZ.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/EBIZ.US.md) - [State Street® SPDR® S&P® Retail ETF (XRT.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XRT.US.md) - [Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BABA.US.md) - [BABA-W (09988.HK)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/09988.HK.md) - [KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF (KBAB.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/KBAB.US.md) - [KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/KWEB.US.md) - [Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IBUY.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Billionaire Investor Cuts Amazon And Starts Fresh With Alibaba](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277822766.md) - [Alibaba forms task force to boost AI development after Qwen chief's exit](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277877051.md) - [Jack Ma, Alibaba leaders call for education overhaul in the age of AI](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277734958.md) - [Head of Alibaba's Qwen AI division resigns](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277711975.md) - [Alibaba Forms Task Force to Accelerate AI Model Development After Qwen Head Exit](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278013047.md)