Advisory Resource Group Buys Shares of 7,925 Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Advisory Resource Group disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Alibaba, buying 7,925 shares worth about $1.16 million. Several other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in BABA.
• Alibaba is facing renewed regulatory and geopolitical pressure, including a reported Beijing rebuke over discount tactics and a fresh U.S. military-affiliation designation. The stock also traded ex-dividend, adding to near-term weakness.
• Despite the headwinds, analysts remain generally constructive: recent reports included price-target increases from Barclays and HSBC, while consensus rating data still shows a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $188.76.

Advisory Resource Group bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 7,925 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,162,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of BABA. ARK Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,565,000. Great Hill Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,207,000. Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 54,235 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $7,950,000 after purchasing an additional 5,760 shares during the period. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 553,384 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $98,906,000 after purchasing an additional 69,232 shares during the period. Finally, Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth about $21,266,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Negative Sentiment: Beijing reportedly rebuked major e-commerce platforms over misleading discount tactics during the 618 shopping festival, renewing regulatory scrutiny of Alibaba and JD.com and raising concerns about margin pressure and tighter oversight. Alibaba and JD Slide After Beijing Rebuke
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba was also linked to a fresh U.S. military-affiliation designation, adding geopolitical and regulatory risk for the U.S.-listed ADR and potentially discouraging institutional buyers. Alibaba slides as U.S. military-link designation and ex-dividend trade weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also traded ex-dividend, which mechanically lowers the share price on the session and can amplify weakness when sentiment is already fragile. Alibaba slides as U.S. military-link designation and ex-dividend trade weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Media coverage also highlighted broader pressure on Chinese ADRs, with Alibaba, PDD Holdings, and JD.com facing increased scrutiny amid geopolitical and policy concerns. Thursday's Final Takeaways: ECB & Chinese ADRs Under Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate articles noted a bullish valuation case for BABA and a positive analyst price-target backdrop, but these did not appear to outweigh the day’s regulatory overhang. Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BABA has been the topic of several research reports. Argus upgraded shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. HSBC upped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $209.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of Alibaba Group stock opened at $112.67 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $270.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.47. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1-year low of $103.71 and a 1-year high of $192.67. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $130.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.15.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. On average, equities analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.60%.

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.

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