Meituan reported a modest 4.1% increase in sales as the company’s expansion outside China helped offset pressure from an intensifying price war with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. at home. China’s food delivery leader posted revenue of 92.1 billion yuan ($13.3 billion) for the December quarter, meeting the average analyst projection. Adjusted net loss was 15.1 billion yuan, surpassing ...
Meituan reported a modest 4.1% increase in sales as the company’s expansion outside China helped offset pressure from an intensifying price war with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. at home. China’s food delivery leader posted revenue of 92.1 billion yuan ($13.3 billion) for the December quarter, meeting the average analyst projection. Adjusted net loss was 15.1 billion yuan, surpassing an estimate of 13 billion yuan. Meituan swung into the red for the first time in almost three years in the September quarter, posting an adjusted net loss of 16 billion yuan. China’s food delivery leader has been locked in a costly war to defend its market share at home, spending billions on subsidies and marketing. It warned in February of an annual loss between 23.3 billion and 24.3 billion yuan for 2025, and it is unlikely to turn a profit in the first quarter. Meituan’s on-demand delivery market share declined to about 50% at the end of 2025, from about 70% at the end of 2024, according to S&P Global. The company’s stock prices shed 44% over the past year. Meituan’s competitors are suffering too. JD.com posted its first quarterly loss in nearly four years for the December quarter, after its sudden entry into the food delivery market early last year triggered a price war. Alibaba saw its revenue plunge 67% during the same period partially due to its heavy investment in instant commerce. The intensifying rivalry has attracted growing regulatory scrutiny. Chinese officials have held multiple meetings warning the companies and launched investigations to end the price war that has been squeezing merchants and drivers. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says: Subsidies across the industry should become more disciplined in 2026, limiting further cost-per-order inflation even as Meituan chases volume. Still, lackluster demand and structurally tougher competition will prevent a sharp profit rebound. - Catherine Lim Click here for the research To mitigate the impact from cut-throat comp...
Hong Kong’s Baptist University plans to spin off its School of Continuing Education (SCE) as a private university of applied sciences (UAS) next year, according to its president. Unveiling the plan at a media briefing on Thursday, Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong said a private institution would be more agile and responsive to societal changes than public universities, which often face lengthy fu...
Hong Kong’s Baptist University plans to spin off its School of Continuing Education (SCE) as a private university of applied sciences (UAS) next year, according to its president. Unveiling the plan at a media briefing on Thursday, Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong said a private institution would be more agile and responsive to societal changes than public universities, which often face lengthy funding approvals. “HKBU [Hong Kong Baptist University] will spare no effort to ensure the success of...
Teesside site mothballed in September given £100m by government to restart production for at least three months A shuttered carbon dioxide plant is to reopen on Teesside with £100m of government investment in response to fears the war in Iran could trigger shortages of the gas that multiple industries rely on. The business secretary, Peter Kyle, has approved the reopening of the Ensus plant to hel...
Teesside site mothballed in September given £100m by government to restart production for at least three months A shuttered carbon dioxide plant is to reopen on Teesside with £100m of government investment in response to fears the war in Iran could trigger shortages of the gas that multiple industries rely on. The business secretary, Peter Kyle, has approved the reopening of the Ensus plant to help bolster production of CO 2 , which has uses ranging from carbonating drinks and keeping food fresh to medical procedures and the sedating of animals for slaughter. Continue reading...