Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Shares Sold by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Key Points

• Janney Montgomery Scott LLC cut its Alibaba stake by 8.2% in the first quarter, selling 5,445 shares and leaving it with 60,715 shares worth about $7.6 million at quarter-end.
• Insider selling was significant, including President J. Michael Evans selling 720,000 shares for about $68.4 million; Alibaba insiders sold a total of 920,303 shares over the last 90 days.
• Alibaba continues to face mixed sentiment: analysts remain generally positive with a “Moderate Buy” consensus, but the stock is also weighed down by legal and competitive concerns, including a $600 million U.S. settlement and ongoing AI-related tensions.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC reduced its position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 8.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 60,715 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 5,445 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $7,617,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its position in Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s AI efforts continue to generate strategic interest: its Elements Claw AI agent reportedly discovered four new superconductors, and Alibaba also joined Kuaishou’s Kling AI fundraise alongside Tencent, signaling ongoing investment in China’s AI ecosystem. Article: Alibaba, Tencent back Kuaishou's Kling AI in $2.8 billion fundraise
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s move to streamline internal AI work tools and tighten security around employee use of third-party AI products may be seen as a governance and data-protection step, which could help reassure investors over time. Article: Alibaba Streamlines AI Work Tools as Competition Mounts
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage-coverage and “investor attention” headlines suggest BABA remains a heavily watched stock, but they do not add much new fundamental information by themselves. Article: Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba’s Damai International announced a new artist label and global initiative, which is a modest business update rather than a stock-moving catalyst. Article: Alibaba's Damai International Introduces New Label, Launches Global Artist Initiative
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba agreed to pay $600 million to settle U.S. allegations involving illegal pharmaceutical and chemical sales through its platforms, a major legal overhang that can weigh on sentiment and raise compliance concerns. Article: Alibaba to pay $600 million to U.S. for illegal pharmaceutical sales
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares add to a cautious tone, since large insider sales can be interpreted as reduced confidence, even if the sale may have been planned or tied to compensation. Article: Alibaba Group NYSE: BABA President Sells 720,000 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple headlines about Alibaba banning Anthropic’s Claude Code over alleged security or backdoor risks reinforce the idea of intensifying U.S.-China AI tensions and may keep investor sentiment cautious. Article: Alibaba to ban Claude Code in workplace over alleged backdoor risks, source says

Insider Activity

In other Alibaba Group news, President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total transaction of $68,364,000.00. Following the transaction, the president owned 28,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,658,600. The trade was a 96.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Fang Jiang sold 4,898 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.09, for a total value of $59,216.82. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,559,511 shares in the company, valued at $67,214,487.99. The trade was a 0.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 over the last ninety days. 12.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BABA. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Freedom Capital raised Alibaba Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $187.38.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

NYSE:BABA opened at $96.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $230.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.51. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $121.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $137.98. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1-year low of $91.99 and a 1-year high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. The company had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 16.91%.

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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