Alibaba has bought nearly 33 million shares of online daily deal service Groupon.

Groupon Inc’s stock jumped more than 16 per cent in Tuesday premarket trading.

The purchase gives the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse about a 5.6 per cent stake in Groupon. Alibaba disclosed the purchase in a regulatory filing on Friday.

The news comes shortly after Groupon reported a fourth-quarter adjusted profit and revenue that beat analysts’ expectations.

In January, Alibaba Group Holding reported better-than-expected third-quarter results as it benefits from a shift to mobile spending and a growth in users.

Shares of Chicago-based Groupon added US 48 cents, or 16.6 per cent, to $US3.37 before the market open on Tuesday.

AP

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