JD.com reported second-quarter net profit of 7.1 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion), up 15% from a year earlier, according to the company’s latest results. The profit gain beat market expectations even as the retailer faced a tougher operating environment in China.
Net revenue for the three months ended June 30 fell 2.9% year on year to 346.4 billion yuan. Even so, that figure still came in above the 342.1 billion yuan consensus estimate from analysts, suggesting the company outperformed reduced expectations despite sluggish domestic consumer demand.
The results come as JD.com contends with fierce competition and pushes into newer business lines, including food delivery, where losses narrowed in the quarter. The mix of higher profit, lower revenue and smaller losses in newer operations points to a quarter defined by margin improvement rather than top-line growth.