Alibaba provides Chinese and international e-commerce platforms, logistics, and ancillary services. The company operates in four segments (Core Commerce; Cloud Computing; Digital Media & Entertainment; and Innovation Initiatives) and has announced plans to split into six businesses. Key marketplaces include Taobao, a consumer marketplace; Tmall, a third-party platform for brands and retailers; Alibaba.com and 1688.com, online wholesale marketplaces; Alipay, for online payments; and Lazada, for Southeast Asia e-commerce.

The major indices are mixed at midday. Two giants report this week: Nvidia and Walmart. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is up 2 bps at 4.44%. Oil is up 3% at $69 per barrel. Bitcoin continues to soar. At midday, it's at $92,000.

Alibaba is the world’s largest online and mobile commerce company as measured by gross merchandise volume. It operates China’s online marketplaces, including Taobao (consumer-to-consumer) and Tmall (business-to-consumer). The China commerce retail division is the most valuable cash flow-generating business at Alibaba. Additional revenue sources include China commerce wholesale, international commerce retail/wholesale, local consumer services, cloud computing, digital media and entertainment platforms, Cainiao logistics services, and innovation initiatives/other.

Shopify offers an e-commerce platform primarily to small and medium-size businesses. The firm has two segments. The subscription solutions segment allows Shopify merchants to conduct e-commerce on a variety of platforms, including the company’s website, physical stores, pop-up stores, kiosks, social networks (Facebook), and Amazon. The merchant solutions segment offers add-on products for the platform that facilitate e-commerce and include Shopify Payments, Shopify Shipping, and Shopify Capital.