Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report issued on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $180.00 price target on the specialty retailer's stock, up from their prior price target of $100.00.

BABA has been the subject of several other reports. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Alibaba Group from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Alibaba Group from $125.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Barclays boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $144.07.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of BABA stock traded down $2.46 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $136.63. 23,715,922 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 31,769,277. Alibaba Group has a twelve month low of $68.36 and a twelve month high of $145.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.48. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $98.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $94.13. The firm has a market cap of $324.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.31.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.84 by ($0.07). Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 12.29%. The firm had revenue of $38.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.19 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rings Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Rings Capital Management LLC now owns 7,100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $602,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its position in Alibaba Group by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 2,829 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Global Endowment Management LP grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Global Endowment Management LP now owns 7,570 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $642,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 3,134 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $266,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, TRUE Private Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. TRUE Private Wealth Advisors now owns 3,123 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company's stock.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.