Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $186.9048.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BABA shares. Mizuho increased their target price on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $209.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s AI efforts got another boost after a unit said its “5-in-1” AI system can give robots a unified brain, body, and limbs, reinforcing the company’s push into next-generation robotics and applied AI. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment may also be supported by news that Alibaba’s Qwen model will power Apple Intelligence features in China, a meaningful commercialization milestone for its AI platform. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to highlight Alibaba’s steady AI progress, suggesting the company is building credibility as a competitive AI player. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba-backed AGTech signed a technical services agreement to build a trading platform for the Hong Kong Gold Exchange, a business-development update with limited direct near-term impact on BABA. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms launched or expanded securities-class-action investigations into Alibaba, alleging possible misleading disclosures, which can add legal uncertainty and pressure the shares. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Separate investor alerts from Rosen and Pomerantz may keep litigation concerns in focus and contribute to the stock’s underperformance versus the broader market. Article

Alibaba Group Stock Down 2.1%

Alibaba Group stock opened at $114.09 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $273.49 billion, a PE ratio of 18.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28. Alibaba Group has a fifty-two week low of $91.99 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $114.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.23.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%.The company had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Research analysts expect that Alibaba Group will post 6.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 11th. This represents a yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio is 16.91%.

Insider Activity at Alibaba Group

In other news, President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total transaction of $68,364,000.00. Following the sale, the president owned 28,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,658,600. This represents a 96.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Hong Xu sold 175,054 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.15, for a total value of $2,126,906.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 280,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,408,026.40. The trade was a 38.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 920,303 shares of company stock worth $70,796,370 over the last 90 days. 12.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Alibaba Group by 11.9% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 54,235 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $7,950,000 after acquiring an additional 5,760 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 24.5% in the 1st quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 259,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,567,000 after purchasing an additional 51,000 shares during the last quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 584,028 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $85,607,000 after purchasing an additional 30,644 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $21,266,000. Finally, Aureus Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 511.0% in the 1st quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 9,361 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 7,829 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

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.