Alibaba vs Bank of America: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Alibaba reported ~$142.3B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$14.4B of net income. Bank of America reported $113.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $30.5B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Alibaba
- Latest revenue
- ~$142.3B (FY2026)
- Net income
- ~$14.4B
- Net margin
- 10.1%
- Revenue growth
- +23.1% a year, FY2017–FY2026
Bank of America
- Latest revenue
- $113.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $30.5B
- Net margin
- 27.0%
- Revenue growth
- +3.4% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Alibaba
Revenue rose from ~$22 billion (RMB158.3 billion) in FY2017 to ~$142 billion (RMB1.024 trillion) in FY2026. Net income was ~$14.4 billion (RMB103.6 billion) in FY2026, down from ~$17.5 billion (RMB126.0 billion) in FY2025. Alibaba reports on a March 31 fiscal year and invests heavily in commerce, cloud and AI infrastructure.
Bank of America
Bank of America earns in two streams. Net interest income was $60.1B in 2025 and noninterest income $53.0B, for total revenue net of interest expense of $113.1B and net income of $30.5B, or $3.81 per diluted share. Deposits of $2.02T funded $1.19T of loans and leases plus a $927.4B debt securities portfolio. Fees carried the year: investment and brokerage services rose $2.2B to $20.0B, investment banking fees rose to $6.6B, and market making fell $953M to $12.0B. Credit stayed contained, with the total consumer net charge-off ratio at 0.88 percent and the card ratio at 3.68 percent. The efficiency ratio improved to 61.65 percent from 63.12 percent, and common equity tier 1 capital was $201.4B, an 11.4 percent standardized ratio against a 10.0 percent minimum.
Revenue and profit by year
Alibaba
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$142.3B | ~$14.4B | 10.1% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$138.5B | ~$17.5B | 12.6% | +5.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$130.8B | ~$9.9B | 7.6% | +8.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$120.7B | ~$9.1B | 7.5% | +1.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$118.6B | ~$6.5B | 5.5% | +18.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$99.7B | ~$19.9B | 20.0% | +40.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$70.8B | ~$19.5B | 27.5% | +35.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$52.4B | ~$11.2B | 21.3% | +50.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$34.8B | ~$8.5B | 24.5% | +58.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$22B | ~$6.1B | 27.6% | — | Source |
Bank of America
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $113.1B | $30.5B | 27.0% | +6.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $105.9B | $27B | 25.5% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $102.8B | $26.3B | 25.6% | +8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $95B | $27.5B | 29.0% | +6.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $89.1B | $32B | 35.9% | +4.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $85.5B | $17.9B | 20.9% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $91.2B | $27.4B | 30.1% | +0.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $91B | $28.1B | 30.9% | +4.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $87.1B | $18.2B | 20.9% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $83.7B | $17.8B | 21.3% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Alibaba
- China commerce
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through China commerce.
- international digital commerce
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through international digital commerce.
- cloud intelligence
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through cloud intelligence.
- logistics services
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through logistics services.
- local services and digital media
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through local services and digital media.
Bank of America
- Net interest income~53%
Interest on loans and securities less interest paid on deposits and debt; $60.1B in 2025.
- Investment and brokerage services~18%
Asset management, brokerage and advisory fees, mostly from Merrill and the Private Bank; $20.0B in 2025.
- Market making and similar activities~11%
Global Markets trading revenue across rates, credit, currencies, commodities and equities; $12.0B in 2025.
- Investment banking fees~6%
Underwriting and advisory fees excluding self-led deals; $6.6B in 2025.
- Service charges~6%
Treasury service charges and consumer deposit account fees; $6.5B in 2025.
- Card income~6%
Interchange, annual fees and other credit and debit card income; $6.4B in 2025.
Business model and strategy
Alibaba
How it makes money
Alibaba earns revenue from customer-management services and commissions on its China commerce marketplaces, direct sales and logistics services in international commerce, cloud products and services, Cainiao logistics, local services, and digital media. Taobao and Tmall primarily connect merchants with consumers rather than operating only as first-party retailers.
Growth strategy
Facing intense regulatory scrutiny and fierce domestic competition, Alibaba's growth strategy recently underwent a large structural overhaul. They announced a plan to split the empire into six separate, independent business groups (like Cloud, E-commerce, and Logistics), allowing each to operate faster and potentially seek their own IPOs.
Competitive advantage
Alibaba's primary moat was its large network effect within China; virtually every merchant had to be on Taobao because that's where all the consumers were, and vice versa. their proprietary logistics network (Cainiao) and deep integration with Alipay created a frictionless ecosystem for Chinese consumers.
Bank of America
How it makes money
The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income. Consumer Banking gathers low-cost deposits and lends through mortgages, cards and auto loans, producing $43.7B of revenue in 2025 and $12.2B of net income. Global Wealth and Investment Management charges fees on $4.75T of client balances, including $2.18T of assets under management, for $24.9B of revenue.
Growth strategy
Growth comes from deepening existing relationships rather than buying banks. Consumer Banking adds clients through digital channels, with 49 million active digital users and 41 million mobile users at the end of 2025, while the branch network is consolidated slowly, down 72 to 3,628 centers during the year, and rebuilt in selected metropolitan markets.
Competitive advantage
Bank of America's advantage is cheap, sticky funding. It held $2.02T of deposits at December 31, 2025, much of it in transaction accounts, and the total deposit spread was 2.92 percent in 2025 against 2.77 percent in 2024.
Questions about Alibaba vs Bank of America
Which company has higher revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Bank of America Corporation?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported ~$142.3B (FY2026), while Bank of America Corporation reported $113.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is the larger business, with Bank of America Corporation reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Alibaba Group Holding Limited vs Bank of America Corporation?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's market capitalisation stands at $266.6B, while Bank of America Corporation's is $380.6B. Bank of America Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Alibaba Group Holding Limited.
Which is more financially efficient — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Bank of America Corporation?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited generates $1.08M / employee in revenue per employee, while Bank of America Corporation generates $531k / employee. Alibaba Group Holding Limited shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Bank of America Corporation make money?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Bank of America Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Alibaba Group Holding Limited: Alibaba earns revenue from customer-management services and commissions on its China commerce marketplaces, direct sales and logistics services in international commerce, cloud products and services, Cainiao logistics, local services, and digital media. Bank of America Corporation: The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Bank of America Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Alibaba Group Holding Limited trades at 1.9x P/S and Bank of America Corporation at 3.4x P/S. Bank of America Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Alibaba Group Holding Limited. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited bigger than Bank of America Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (~$142.3B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Bank of America Corporation ($113.1B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Alibaba vs Bank of America overview