Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Trading Down 2.2% – Time to Sell?

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) was down 2.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $171.94 and last traded at $173.3460. Approximately 12,903,164 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the average daily volume of 17,195,064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $177.18.

Key Alibaba Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alibaba Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Arete Research upgraded BABA from Neutral to Buy and set a $190 price target; the upgrade triggered an intraday rally as investors responded to improved analyst conviction. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Alibaba is preparing to restructure and list its AI chip arm, T‑Head, have driven optimism that a spinoff/IPO could unlock value and position the company in the hot AI‑accelerator market — multiple outlets cite people familiar with the plan. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage is tilted favorable: a consensus “Moderate Buy” from brokerages reinforces the bullish analyst tone and supports investor interest. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple news outlets reported the T‑Head IPO story and intraday share pops/pre‑market rallies; these are market‑reaction pieces rather than official filings — the long‑term impact depends on deal structure, timing and regulatory filings. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $231.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Alibaba Group from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Nomura cut their price target on Alibaba Group from $215.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Macquarie reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $192.72.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $156.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $149.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The company has a market capitalization of $413.85 billion, a PE ratio of 23.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.37.

Institutional Trading of Alibaba Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Traphagen Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Traphagen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,018 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 26.4% in the third quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Bluesphere Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Bluesphere Advisors LLC now owns 3,023 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $540,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 34.4% in the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 1.0% in the third quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,661 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,191,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational conglomerate founded in 1999 in Hangzhou, China, by Jack Ma and a group of co‑founders. The company built its business around internet-based commerce and related services and has grown into one of the largest e-commerce and technology companies in the world. Alibaba completed a high‑profile initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.

The company operates a portfolio of online marketplaces and platforms serving different customer segments: Alibaba.com for global and domestic B2B trade, Taobao for consumer-to-consumer shopping, and Tmall for brand and retailer storefronts targeted at Chinese consumers.