JD.com plans $5 billion stock buy-back after Walmart pulls out
Walmart had sold its entire, $3.7 billion ownership stake in the Chinese e-commerce retailer and logistics service provider.
The Beijing-based e-commerce retailer JD.com is planning to buy back up to $5.0 billion of its own stock after its largest shareholder, the American mega-retailer Walmart, sold off its entire $3.7 billion holding last week.
That public show of a lack of confidence quickly led to a 10% drop in its share price, even as JD.com continues to compete with Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba, according to published reports.
In response, JD.com today said it would begin its share repurchase program in September, with plans to buy up to $5 billion of its shares over a 36-month period ending in August, 2027.
JD.com has built up its own e-commerce fulfillment and delivery network, and also acts as a logistics service provider (LSP) through a “retail as a service” offering that opens up that infrastructure to partners, brands, and other sectors. The company has been investing heavily in supply chain technologies in recent years, including hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric trucks, warehouse automation robots, and a “self-operating warehouse” in California.