Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Stock: Ethic Inc. Boosts Holdings

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its Alibaba stake by 35% in the third quarter, adding 10,790 shares to hold 41,585 shares valued at about $4.47 million.
• Alibaba’s chip unit T-Head has approval to pursue a spin-off and confidentially filed for a Hong Kong listing, while the company’s cloud and AI infrastructure deal for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics could boost its visibility.
• Investors are watching Alibaba’s November 19 results amid concerns that higher technology spending could weigh on earnings. Analysts surveyed by MarketBeat maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $183.26.

Ethic Inc. raised its holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 35.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,585 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 10,790 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $4,472,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Verus Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $417,000. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $204,000. OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $8,626,000. All Stars Investment Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 67.2% in the 3rd quarter. All Stars Investment Ltd now owns 11,200 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,204,000 after buying an additional 4,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 53.6% in the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 15,577 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,675,000 after buying an additional 5,437 shares in the last quarter. 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:

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba said T-Head has approval to proceed with a spin-off and has confidentially filed to list in Hong Kong. A separate listing could give investors direct exposure to its data-center chip business and help highlight the value of Alibaba’s AI assets, though the reports provide no valuation or offering details. Reuters article: Alibaba chip unit T-Head files confidential Hong Kong IPO application
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba is also drawing attention for providing cloud and AI infrastructure for the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, a showcase that could support its cloud business and brand visibility. Yahoo Finance article: Alibaba Group Holding lands Olympic cloud deal
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may remain cautious ahead of the November 19 results. Recent coverage points to pressure on earnings from increased technology investment, alongside softer sentiment toward Chinese technology shares; results could clarify the effect of that spending on profitability. Quiver Quant article: Alibaba slides as investors turn cautious ahead of November 19 results

Insider Transactions at Alibaba Group

In other Alibaba Group news, CFO Hong Xu sold 103,046 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.68, for a total value of $1,409,669.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 406,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,560,236. This trade represents a 20.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Fang Jiang sold 885,272 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.55, for a total transaction of $11,995,435.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,679,097 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $63,401,764.35. This represents a 15.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 999,971 shares of company stock worth $13,563,304. Corporate insiders own 12.50% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group Trading Down 2.6%

BABA stock opened at $102.67 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $107.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.35. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $91.99 and a fifty-two week high of $181.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $255.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 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 (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.94 by ($0.68). Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.79% and a net margin of 7.00%. The business had revenue of $39.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $14.75 EPS. Alibaba Group's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 5.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on BABA shares. Susquehanna raised their target price on Alibaba Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $192.00 price objective on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $193.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Two equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $183.26.

Alibaba Group Profile

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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