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CHICAGO, Aug 17- Wal-Mart Stores Inc warned on Thursday that this quarter's earnings could miss Wall Street's estimates as the world's biggest retailer struggles with falling margins due to price-cutting and heavy spending on its e-commerce operations. Wal-Mart has also been cutting grocery prices to remain competitive against discounters like...

CHICAGO, Aug 17- Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday reported lower quarterly profit margins and indicated earnings for the current period could miss analysts' estimates as it cut prices and spent heavily to expand its e-commerce operations. It has begun offering programs like free-two-day shipping and discounts for picking up online purchases at stores, and it...

*Net income to shareholders $2.17 bln, or 83 cents/ share. BEIJING, Aug 17- Alibaba, China's top e-commerce firm, beat analyst estimates with a 56 percent rise in first-quarter revenue, driven by strong online sales. In June, Alibaba invested a further $1 billion in Singapore- based e-commerce platform Lazada Group.

CHICAGO, Aug 17- Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday reported lower quarterly margins after it cut prices and invested heavily on expanding its e-commerce operations, and its shares fell nearly 3 percent. Net income attributable to Wal-Mart fell 23 percent to $2.9 billion, or 96 per cents per share, from $3.7 billion, or $1.21 per share, a year earlier due to a loss from...

CHICAGO, Aug 17- Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday reported its 12th straight quarterly increase in comparable sales, but margins fell as the retailer continued to cut prices and invest in its e-commerce operations. Net income attributable to Wal-Mart during the second quarter ended July 31 fell 23 percent to $2.9 billion, or 96 per cents per share, from $3.7...

Aug 17- Alibaba, China's top e-commerce firm, beat analyst's estimates with a 56 percent rise in first-quarter revenue, driven by growth in online sales which make up most of its business. Thursday's results show that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, one of Asia's most valuable companies, is benefiting from more and more Chinese buying an increasing proportion of...

NEW YORK— Walmart's recent spending spree to try to catch up to Amazon seems to be paying off. Walmart had paid more than $3 billion for Jet last year, and since then picked up smaller players including ModCloth and Moosejaw. Greg Foran, who runs Walmart's U.S. stores, said Amazon is a "strong competitor" and that Walmart will continue with its strategy and keep an eye on...

CHICAGO, Aug 17- Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported its 12th consecutive rise in quarterly comparable sales on Thursday, driven by an increase in the number of shoppers who visited stores and made purchases online. Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year rose 1.8 percent, excluding fuel, in the second quarter ended on July 31. Analysts polled by research firm Consesus...