Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Holdings Decreased by AE Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• AE Wealth Management cut its stake in Alibaba by 24.1%, selling 3,919 shares and leaving 12,364 shares worth about $1.812 million at quarter end, while overall institutional ownership stands at roughly 13.47%.
• Analysts have trimmed price targets but the consensus remains a Moderate Buy (16 Buys, 6 Holds) with an average target of $187.68, even as the stock was trading down about 3.5%.
• Alibaba is rolling out AI products like enterprise agent platform Wukong and the 3D game AI Happy Oyster, which could diversify revenue, but heavy AI/cloud/logistics spending has materially squeezed margins and near‑term profitability.

AE Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 24.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,364 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 3,919 shares during the quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $1,812,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 464,181 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $68,040,000 after purchasing an additional 59,154 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,308 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,658,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc raised its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 7,986 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,171,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Forteris Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $749,000. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 61.9% during the fourth quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 50,123 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $7,347,000 after purchasing an additional 19,169 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $174.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Freedom Capital cut shares of Alibaba Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $187.68.

More 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 Trading Down 3.5%

NYSE:BABA opened at $135.27 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.33. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $103.71 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67. The stock's 50-day moving average is $136.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $153.15. The stock has a market cap of $323.54 billion, a PE ratio of 25.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.50.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 9.12%.The company had revenue of $40.71 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 4.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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