Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Shares Sold by Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its Alibaba stake by 46.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,184 shares and leaving it with 9,433 shares worth about $1.38 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive: Alibaba has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with analysts including JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley raising price targets and the average target sitting at $188.76.
• Alibaba is leaning harder into AI and cloud growth, highlighted by a new AI chip launch and reports of accelerating commercialization, though investors are also weighing near-term pressure on margins from higher spending.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lowered its holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 46.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,433 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 8,184 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $1,383,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth $37,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on BABA shares. DZ Bank lowered shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Argus raised shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $188.76.

More Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled its new Zhenwu M890 AI chip, which it says delivers three times the performance of its prior model, reinforcing its domestic semiconductor ambitions and broader AI strategy. Reuters: Alibaba unveils new AI chip in push for domestic alternatives
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent reports say Alibaba is entering a new phase of AI commercialization, with cloud and AI revenue growth accelerating and AI products becoming a larger part of the business. Seeking Alpha: Alibaba Is Becoming An AI Giant
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark reaffirmed its Buy rating and a $220 price target, reflecting continued analyst confidence in Alibaba’s AI and cloud expansion. Yahoo Finance: Benchmark Reaffirms Buy Rating on Alibaba (BABA) Following AI Cloud Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: One analysis said Alibaba’s revenue growth should improve meaningfully in fiscal 2027 as accounting changes and asset disposals fade, suggesting the current slowdown may be temporary. Seeking Alpha: Alibaba: Consolidated Revenue Growth Will Be Much Higher In FY2027
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still digesting weaker profitability and the company’s plan to spend more on AI and cloud infrastructure, which may pressure margins and free cash flow in the near term. Quiver Quant: Alibaba slides as investors digest profit squeeze and stepped-up AI spending plans

Alibaba Group Trading Down 2.2%

Alibaba Group stock opened at $131.45 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $131.72 and its 200-day moving average is $148.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.28. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1 year low of $103.71 and a 1 year high of $192.67. The company has a market cap of $315.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.58, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.50.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company 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 expect that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 72.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's payout ratio is 15.60%.

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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