Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Shares Purchased by Alps Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Alps Advisors increased its Alibaba stake by 53.6% in the third quarter, adding 5,437 shares to hold 15,577 shares valued at approximately $1.68 million.
• Other investors also added or initiated positions, including Sei Investments, WCM Investment Management and TT International. Institutional investors collectively owned 13.47% of Alibaba shares.
• Alibaba’s latest reported quarterly revenue rose 8.6% year over year and slightly beat expectations, but EPS missed consensus estimates. Analysts held a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with an average price target of $183.26.

Alps Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 53.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 15,577 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 5,437 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $1,675,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BABA. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $50,417,000. Pale Fire Capital SE acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the second quarter valued at about $49,810,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 63.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 573,409 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $71,940,000 after purchasing an additional 222,666 shares during the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 347.6% during the 1st quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 249,736 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $30,463,000 after purchasing an additional 193,947 shares during the period. Finally, TT International Asset Management LTD grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 2,775.0% during the third quarter. TT International Asset Management LTD now owns 185,036 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $19,899,000 after purchasing an additional 178,600 shares during the period. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Alibaba Group News

Investors following BABA have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba received approval to pursue a spin-off and Hong Kong listing of T-Head, its data-center chip subsidiary, which has filed confidentially. A separate listing could give investors direct exposure to the business and potentially make its value more visible, as demand for domestic AI chips grows. Article: Alibaba announces plans to list T-Head, its Nvidia chip rival
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and $178 price target, implying substantial potential upside from the recent share level and signaling continued analyst confidence despite Alibaba’s recent underperformance. Article: Alibaba Has Disappointed for a Year: Why Bank of America Sees 76% Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba’s shares fell despite broader market gains, suggesting investors were not responding to the strategic announcements alone. Coverage also characterized the chip spin-off as a double-edged bet amid an Nvidia-related controversy, pointing to potential uncertainty around the deal. Article: Alibaba Stock Drops Despite Market Gains

Insider Buying and Selling at Alibaba Group

In other Alibaba Group news, Director Joseph Tsai acquired 720,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.29 per share, for a total transaction of $10,288,800.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 114,979,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,643,052,310.72. This trade represents a 0.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, General Counsel Siying Yu sold 6,764 shares of Alibaba Group stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.58, for a total transaction of $91,855.12. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 613,965 shares in the company, valued at $8,337,644.70. This represents a 1.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 999,971 shares of company stock worth $13,563,304. 12.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

BABA opened at $101.46 on Thursday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $107.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.99. The firm has a market cap of $252.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.57, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1 year low of $91.99 and a 1 year high of $181.10.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 14th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by ($0.68). Alibaba Group had a net margin of 7.00% and a return on equity of 4.79%. The company had revenue of $39.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $39.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $14.75 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on BABA shares. Piper Sandler downgraded Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Monday, September 7th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $192.00 price target on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $183.26.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a technology and commerce company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China. It operates digital platforms that connect consumers, merchants, businesses and other participants in commerce. Its businesses include China-focused marketplaces such as Taobao and Tmall, international platforms including AliExpress and Alibaba.com, and Alibaba Cloud, which provides cloud computing and related technology services. The group also has operations in areas such as logistics, local services and digital media.

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