Alibaba buys nearly 33 million shares of Groupon

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

Groupon Inc's stock jumped more than 16 percent in today 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.

Last month Alibaba Group Holding Ltd 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 48 cents, or 16.6 per cent, to USD 3.37 before the market open today.