Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce behemoth, recently announced its first-ever dividend since its 2014 IPO, distributing approximately $2.5 billion to shareholders. This equates to a modest 1.1% yield based on the current stock value. However, the company faces significant challenges, with its plan to spin off its cloud computing division now in jeopardy due to the U.S. expanding export controls on advanced technology. This move, encompassing sales to Chinese subsidiaries and certain chip technologies, could severely impact Alibaba’s cloud unit’s operational capabilities and technological advancements.