Alibaba Group Holding Ltd may be making its debut on Wall Street later this summer, but it's certainly no stranger to the investors of Silicon Valley. In the past 18 months, the Chinese e-commerce giant has burrowed its way into the Valley's exclusive investment circles, snapping up sizeable stakes and board seats in fast-growing startups that could provide strategic advantages for when, not if, the company challenges Amazon.com Inc or eBay Inc on their home turf.A U.S. investment team headed by cable magnate John Malone's former dealmaker, Michael Zeisser, targets stakes in e-commerce, mobile and logistics-focused companies which combine online and offline operations, people familiar with the U.S. operations said.Alibaba's vision for the world's largest consumer market has been the subject of intense industry speculation. Silicon Valley insiders who have held discussions with the company, which handles more online transactions than Amazon and eBay combined, say its U.S. deals are central to its strategy of becoming the world's dominant e-tailer.The growing pool of investments give Alibaba a glimpse into a swathe of Silicon Valley's cutting-edge technologies; they yield insights into an unfamiliar market; and they help build a web of alliances and connections, industry insiders say.
Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon.com) serves consumers through its retail websites and focus on selection, price, and convenience. Shares of AMZN fell by 4.09% or $-12.67/share to $297.38. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $255.33 and as high as $408.06. On average, 4740790 shares of AMZN exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 4682327.
eBay Inc., is a global technology company. The Company enables commerce through three reportable segments: Marketplaces, Payments, and GSI. Shares of EBAY fell by 2.02% or $-1.05/share to $50.95. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $48.06 and as high as $59.70. On average, 11379400 shares of EBAY exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 14641652.
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