Ruffer LLP Purchases 96,178 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Ruffer LLP grew its position in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 25.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 481,064 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 96,178 shares during the period. Alibaba Group accounts for about 3.2% of Ruffer LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Ruffer LLP’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $70,624,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. NBT Bank N A NY grew its holdings in Alibaba Group by 231.5% in the 3rd quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 179 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:BABA opened at $135.27 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.33. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1 year low of $103.71 and a 1 year high of $192.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $323.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.52, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $153.15.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 9.12%.The business had revenue of $40.71 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 4.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on BABA. Weiss Ratings cut Alibaba Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Arete Research upgraded Alibaba Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.68.

Key Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba rolled out an enterprise AI-native agent platform called “Wukong,” signaling a push to commercialize large AI models for customers, which could support long‑term revenue diversification. Alibaba launches ‘Wukong’ an AI-native agentic platform for enterprises
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled “Happy Oyster,” an AI model for generating realistic 3D game simulation video — a high-value niche that could accelerate monetization of AI R&D and deepen competition with game/tech incumbents. Alibaba’s Happy Oyster AI Puts 3D Game Simulation At Center Stage
• Neutral Sentiment: Media attention and investor interest are elevated: Zacks flags BABA as a trending stock and notes today’s relative weakness vs. the market, highlighting that the name is being actively watched. This increases liquidity but also volatility. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns that rising costs — heavy AI, cloud and logistics investments — have significantly squeezed margins, with Q3 FY26 showing sharp declines in profits and cash flow, a direct press on near‑term valuation. Alibaba’s Cost Surge Intensifies: Is Profitability Under Pressure?
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons to Microsoft highlight Alibaba’s challenge in cloud/AI: MSFT’s stronger margins, larger commercial traction and backlog make investors question Alibaba’s near-term earnings leverage. Microsoft vs. Alibaba: Which Cloud Titan Is the Smarter Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure in AI hardware/AR from peers like Huawei (new AI glasses) raises product and go‑to‑market risks for Alibaba’s consumer and enterprise AI ambitions. China’s Huawei debuts AI glasses to challenge Meta, Alibaba and Rokid in crowded arena
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/enforcement headlines: Chinese authorities fined e‑commerce platforms (including Alibaba’s Taobao Shangou) for food delivery violations — a reminder of sector regulatory risk that can hit operations and costs. China fines e‑commerce platforms for food delivery violations
• Negative Sentiment: A Reuters report says Indian regulators seized counterfeit Mounjaro pens and traced raw-material orders to vendors on Alibaba’s platform, creating potential reputational and compliance headaches in international markets. India seizes suspected fake Mounjaro pens, says raw materials sourced from Alibaba

Alibaba Group 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.