Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) shares gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $115.38, but opened at $110.88. Alibaba Group shares last traded at $110.7110, with a volume of 4,908,379 shares changing hands.

Key Alibaba Group News

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

• Negative Sentiment: The Pentagon’s addition of Alibaba to a Chinese military-linked list is increasing U.S.-China policy risk and could deter some institutional investors. Alibaba slides as U.S. military-link designation and ex-dividend trade weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba’s ex-dividend date is putting mechanical downward pressure on the stock, amplifying the day’s decline. Alibaba slides as U.S. military-link designation and ex-dividend trade weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Beijing’s renewed crackdown on discount marketing and misleading ads is weighing on Alibaba and other China e-commerce names, raising concern about tighter regulation and margin pressure. Alibaba, JD.com Shares Fall as Beijing Launches Fresh Crackdown on Discount Marketing
• Negative Sentiment: Leadership turnover in Alibaba’s AI-chat unit has added to questions about the company’s execution in a key growth area. Alibaba’s AI-Chat Chief Replaced After Debate About Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: A bullish investor note argued Alibaba still looks attractive on valuation and momentum, helping offset some of the negative macro headlines. Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts still see meaningful upside in Alibaba, with recent price targets clustering well above the current share price. Alibaba slides as U.S. military-link designation and ex-dividend trade weigh on sentiment

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on BABA shares. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $209.00 target price for the company. Finally, Zacks Research raised Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Trading Down 3.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $267.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.36, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28. The business has a 50-day moving average of $130.55 and a 200-day moving average of $144.44.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%.The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a yield of 94.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.91%.

Institutional Trading of Alibaba Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rathbones Group PLC lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 73,646 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $9,240,000 after acquiring an additional 5,959 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 14.9% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 11,606 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,456,000 after acquiring an additional 1,506 shares during the period. Lavelle Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $420,000. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. now owns 24,867 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,120,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. Finally, TrueWealth Financial Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $595,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Alibaba Group

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.