Alibaba vs Post Holdings: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Alibaba reported ~$142.3B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$14.4B of net income. Post Holdings reported $6.2B of revenue in FY2026 and $242.1M 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
Post Holdings
- Latest revenue
- $6.2B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $242.1M
- Net margin
- 3.9%
- Revenue growth
- +2.1% a year, FY2016–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.
Post Holdings
Post Holdings grew net sales from $4.71 billion in fiscal 2020 to $8.158 billion in fiscal 2025, mostly through acquisitions such as the Smucker pet food brands (2023), Perfection Pet Foods (2023), Potato Products of Idaho (March 2025) and 8th Avenue Food & Provisions (July 2025). Fiscal 2025 net earnings were $335.7 million. For the nine months to June 30, 2026, net sales rose to $6.166 billion and Adjusted EBITDA to $1.191 billion, while net earnings fell 15% to $242.1 million on higher interest costs. Post does not pay a dividend and repurchased 9.1 million shares for $908.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2026. Management narrowed fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $1.56-$1.57 billion.
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 |
Post Holdings
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $6.2B | $242.1M | 3.9% | -24.4% | Source |
| FY2025 | $8.2B | $335.7M | 4.1% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $7.9B | $366.7M | 4.6% | +13.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $7B | $301.3M | 4.3% | +19.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $5.9B | $756.6M | 12.9% | +17.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $5B | $166.7M | 3.3% | +5.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $4.7B | $800,000 | 0.0% | -17.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $5.7B | $124.7M | 2.2% | -9.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $6.3B | $467.3M | 7.5% | +19.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $5.2B | $48.3M | 0.9% | +4.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $5B | -$3.3M | -0.1% | — | 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.
Post Holdings
- Post Consumer Brands
Not formally reported
Cereal, granola, pet food, nut butters, and pantry products.
- Weetabix
Not formally reported
U.K. cereal and breakfast products.
- Foodservice
Not formally reported
Egg products and foodservice ingredients.
- Refrigerated Retail
Not formally reported
Bob Evans side dishes, sausage and egg products. The Crystal Farms dairy business was sold on May 1, 2026.
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.
Post Holdings
How it makes money
Post makes money by manufacturing and selling packaged food through four segments. Post Consumer Brands sells branded and private-label cereal and granola (Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Malt-O-Meal), pet food (Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits) and Peter Pan peanut butter to grocery, mass and club retailers.
Growth strategy
Post grows mainly by buying businesses and integrating them into existing plants and sales teams. Recent moves include the $1.2 billion purchase of Smucker pet food brands (April 2023), Perfection Pet Foods for $235 million (December 2023), Potato Products of Idaho (March 2025) and 8th Avenue Food & Provisions (July 2025).
Competitive advantage
Post's edge is scale in less glamorous categories plus a capital-allocation discipline that treats acquisitions, debt and buybacks as interchangeable uses of cash. Michael Foods is a major supplier of value-added eggs to foodservice, Weetabix is the UK's number-one selling ready-to-eat cereal brand, and Post Consumer Brands covers both branded and private-label cereal, which lets it sell to shoppers who trade down.
Questions about Alibaba vs Post Holdings
Which company has higher revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Post Holdings, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported ~$142.3B (FY2026), while Post Holdings, Inc. reported $6.2B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is the larger business, with Post Holdings, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Alibaba Group Holding Limited vs Post Holdings, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's market capitalisation stands at $266.6B, while Post Holdings, Inc.'s is $4.7B. Alibaba Group Holding Limited carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Post Holdings, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Post Holdings, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited generates $1.08M / employee in revenue per employee, while Post Holdings, Inc. generates $468k / 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 Post Holdings, Inc. make money?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Post Holdings, Inc. 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. Post Holdings, Inc.: Post makes money by manufacturing and selling packaged food through four segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Post Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Alibaba Group Holding Limited trades at 1.9x P/S and Post Holdings, Inc. at 0.8x P/S. Alibaba Group Holding Limited commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Post Holdings, Inc.. 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 Post Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (~$142.3B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Post Holdings, Inc. ($6.2B (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 Post Holdings overview