Aliyun Partners with NVIDIA; Stock Targets HKD 100

In the dynamic realm of the Hong Kong stock market this week, technology stocks have emerged as the shining stars, with Alibaba (listed as 09988.HK) making particularly noteworthy strides among its peers. The company's stock price has exhibited a robust upward trend, escalating by over 13% over the course of the week. This impressive surge can be attributed to a plethora of foundational factors fueling investor optimism.

At the core of this momentum was Alibaba Cloud’s announcement at its eagerly awaited annual event, the Yunqi Conference. Here, the company unveiled its self-developed generative AI platform, Tongyi, which has significantly improved customer services by scaling up its client base to over 300,000, a remarkable jump from just 90,000 in May of the same year. With its state-of-the-art models and comprehensive global cloud infrastructure, Alibaba Cloud is akin to a skilled artisan meticulously crafting solutions for diverse sectors including automotive, gaming, tourism, and information technology, as it aims to enhance customer experiences and deliver mature, innovative offerings.

Expanding on this landscape of technological collaboration, Alibaba's cloud computing division has proactively joined forces with semiconductor giant NVIDIA. This pivotal partnership is aimed at bolstering autonomous driving technologies for leading Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers such as Li Auto and Xiaomi. This collaboration represents a significant milestone as Alibaba Cloud establishes deep ties with an American semiconductor heavyweight, and it holds the potential to propel the Chinese electric vehicle sector toward groundbreaking advancements in technology.

Delving into the technical specifics of this collaboration, Alibaba Cloud's proprietary large language model, Qwen—which includes the Qwen2-7B language model and the Qwen2-VL visual language model—has been seamlessly integrated with NVIDIA's DRIVE AGX Orin™ platform for autonomous driving. NVIDIA's unique model acceleration technology functions as a key that effectively opens doors to reduced computing costs while at the same time minimizing latency during real-time complex task processing by Alibaba Cloud’s AI models. Consequently, drivers and passengers can enjoy an uninterrupted and smart travel experience, reminiscent of stepping into a futuristic cabin brimming with technological allure.

Moreover, Xpeng Motors has also astutely recognized the exceptional capabilities of Alibaba Cloud's technology, leveraging its AI models and formidable cloud computing resources to redefine its smart cockpit and autonomous driving experiences. In this innovative practice, Xpeng cleverly utilizes Alibaba Cloud's Tongyi Qianwen to enhance its AI voice assistant, Xiao P, thereby striving to create a superior smart cockpit experience. Powered by a large language model (LLM), this voice assistant showcases remarkable abilities, adeptly understanding complex conversational contexts and users’ underlying intentions without the need for specific commands, engaging in seamless and friendly dialogue with occupants in the vehicle. For instance, when a user casually comments, "It's chilly in here," the voice assistant rapidly grasps the user's intent and autonomously adjusts the cabin temperature, signifying a thoughtful and convenient service.

As the development of automotive cockpit solutions progresses, it undeniably signals that Alibaba Cloud's AI large models are taking root and, like dandelion seeds, gradually spreading into broader application scenarios. It is anticipated that as this evolution unfolds, an increasing number of environments will be redefined and created under the empowerment of Alibaba Cloud’s AI large models, giving rise to novel, distinctive, and valuable business opportunities and user experiences. According to Alibaba Cloud's CEO Wu Yongming, over 50% of new demands in the vital area of added computational power are being driven by AI, which has already established itself as a dominant force in the computational market, a momentum that is expected to continue expanding, showcasing boundless potential and possibility.

Looking back at the trajectory of Alibaba’s stock price this year, it has consistently trended upward, with a cumulative increase surpassing 29%. This stellar performance can be partially attributed to the rapid growth of its AI business. Recent financial reports illustrate a positive trajectory for the cloud computing segment, akin to a ship deftly navigating the vast seas of commerce. However, it is noteworthy that the market has yet to fully reflect the enormous value creation potential inherent within its cloud business. As one of Alibaba's core operations, the success of its cloud computing services is poised to further serve as a key engine driving the overall valuation increase of the company in the future. Currently, the upward stock price trend has successfully reached new heights since July 2023. If the stock can effectively break the significant psychological barrier of 100 HKD, the next target will likely be the high from January 2023. However, this journey is not without its challenges, requiring a tailwind of more positive developments. From a short-term perspective, it's essential to closely monitor the dynamics following this week’s surge in stock price to observe whether there will be signs of deceleration around the 100 HKD mark, as this will be critical in influencing future price movements.