Alibaba vs Procter & Gamble: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Alibaba reported ~$142.3B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$14.4B of net income. Procter & Gamble reported $87B of revenue in FY2026 and $16B 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
Procter & Gamble
- Latest revenue
- $87B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $16B
- Net margin
- 18.4%
- Revenue growth
- +3.3% a year, FY2017–FY2026
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.
Procter & Gamble
P&G's finances are defined by steady sales, high margins and large cash returns rather than fast growth. Net sales rose from $65.1 billion in fiscal 2017 to $87.0 billion in fiscal 2026. In fiscal 2026 diluted EPS was $6.62 (up 2%) and core EPS was $6.89 (up 1%), with core gross and operating margins slipping 40 and 70 basis points as costs rose. The company returned more than $15 billion to shareholders, about $10.2 billion in dividends and $5 billion in buybacks, and has raised its dividend for 70 consecutive years. For fiscal 2027 it guided to 1%-3% organic sales growth and core EPS of $6.89-$7.11.
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 |
Procter & Gamble
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $87B | $16B | 18.4% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2025 | $84.3B | $16B | 19.0% | +0.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $84B | $14.9B | 17.7% | +2.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | $82B | $14.7B | 17.9% | +2.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | $80.2B | $14.7B | 18.4% | +5.3% | Source |
| FY2021 | $76.1B | $14.3B | 18.8% | +7.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $71B | $13B | 18.4% | +4.8% | Source |
| FY2019 | $67.7B | $3.9B | 5.8% | +1.3% | Source |
| FY2018 | $66.8B | $9.8B | 14.6% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $65.1B | $15.3B | 23.6% | — | 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.
Procter & Gamble
- Fabric and Home Care
Largest segment
Laundry, dish care, air care, and household cleaning brands including Tide, Ariel, Dawn, Febreze, and Swiffer.
- Baby, Feminine and Family Care
Major segment
Pampers, Always, Bounty, Charmin, and related baby, feminine, and family-care products.
- Beauty
Major segment
Hair care, skin care, and prestige beauty brands including Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Olay, and SK-II.
- Health Care
Major segment
Oral care and personal health products such as Oral-B, Crest, Vicks, and Metamucil.
- Grooming
Focused segment
Gillette, Venus, Braun, and shaving-related products.
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.
Procter & Gamble
How it makes money
P&G makes money by designing, manufacturing and marketing branded household and personal-care products that consumers buy every week, then selling them through retailers, club stores, pharmacies, distributors and e-commerce platforms. Revenue comes from five reportable segments: Fabric & Home Care (Tide, Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Febreze), the largest; Baby, Feminine & Family Care (Pampers, Always, Bounty, Charmin);
Growth strategy
P&G's integrated growth strategy has five parts: a portfolio focused on about ten daily-use categories, superiority across product, packaging, communication, retail execution and value, productivity savings to fund reinvestment, 'constructive disruption' of its own practices, and an agile, accountable organization.
Competitive advantage
P&G's edge is the combination of category leadership and scale. It concentrates on about ten daily-use categories where performance differences are visible to consumers (cleaning, absorbency, shaving, oral care), funds roughly $2 billion a year of R&D to keep those gaps, and uses its size to buy materials, media and logistics more cheaply than smaller rivals.
Questions about Alibaba vs Procter & Gamble
Which company has higher revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or The Procter & Gamble Company?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported ~$142.3B (FY2026), while The Procter & Gamble Company reported $87.0B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is the larger business, with The Procter & Gamble Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Alibaba Group Holding Limited vs The Procter & Gamble Company?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's market capitalisation stands at $266.6B, while The Procter & Gamble Company's is $340.0B. The Procter & Gamble Company 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 The Procter & Gamble Company?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited generates $1.08M / employee in revenue per employee, while The Procter & Gamble Company generates $798k / 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 The Procter & Gamble Company make money?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited and The Procter & Gamble Company 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. The Procter & Gamble Company: P&G makes money by designing, manufacturing and marketing branded household and personal-care products that consumers buy every week, then selling them through retailers, club stores, pharmacies, distributors and e-commerce platforms.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or The Procter & Gamble Company?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Alibaba Group Holding Limited trades at 1.9x P/S and The Procter & Gamble Company at 3.9x P/S. The Procter & Gamble Company 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 The Procter & Gamble Company?
By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (~$142.3B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to The Procter & Gamble Company ($87.0B (FY2026)). 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 Procter & Gamble overview