Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Stock Sold by Ninety One SA Pty Ltd

Key Points

• Ninety One SA Pty Ltd cut its Alibaba stake by 78.6% in the third quarter, selling 6,184 shares and retaining 1,680 shares worth approximately $181,000. Institutional investors overall owned 13.47% of the company.
• Alibaba shares traded around $110.12, well below the 12-month high of $182.50. Its latest quarterly earnings of $1.26 per share missed the $1.94 consensus estimate, although revenue rose 8.6% year over year to $39.64 billion.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $182.89. Analysts cited in the report issued targets ranging from $170 to $193, implying significant upside from recent levels.

Ninety One SA Pty Ltd lessened its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 78.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,680 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 6,184 shares during the period. Ninety One SA Pty Ltd's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aureus Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 511.0% in the 1st quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 9,361 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 7,829 shares in the last quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Alibaba Group by 97.8% during the 2nd quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,019 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,647,000 after purchasing an additional 8,415 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 259,580 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,567,000 after purchasing an additional 51,000 shares in the last quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,807,000. Finally, Turn8 Private Wealth Inc. increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 70.3% during the 1st quarter. Turn8 Private Wealth Inc. now owns 37,324 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $4,683,000 after purchasing an additional 15,404 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

NYSE:BABA traded down $1.05 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $110.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,266,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,552,868. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $91.99 and a 12-month high of $182.50. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $115.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $119.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market cap of $273.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.65, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.47.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 14th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 earned $14.75 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 5.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Yongming Wu acquired 350,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of $14.24 per share, with a total value of $4,984,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,364,418 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,429,312.32. The trade was a 34.50% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Hong Xu sold 103,046 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 406,450 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,560,236. This trade represents a 20.23% 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 three months, insiders sold 999,971 shares of company stock worth $13,563,304. Insiders own 12.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on BABA shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $192.00 price objective on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, HSBC set a $170.00 price objective on Alibaba Group in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $182.89.

Trending Headlines about Alibaba Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s cloud business and China quick-commerce operations each grew approximately 45% year over year in the latest quarter. The company is repositioning itself around higher-margin cloud infrastructure and AI, with an ambitious goal of reaching 1 trillion RMB in cloud revenue by 2032. Alibaba: Enough Fuel To Power The Trillion-RMB Cloud Machine
• Positive Sentiment: China has approved Alibaba’s AI models for use in Apple Intelligence on iPhones and other Apple devices sold in China. The partnership could increase Qwen’s visibility, usage and monetization while strengthening Alibaba’s position in China’s AI ecosystem. Alibaba AI models cleared for use in Apple Intelligence in China
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable. Erste Group raised its Alibaba earnings estimates, while JPMorgan retained an Overweight rating and a $200 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels despite reducing its previous target. Erste Group Bank Boosts Earnings Estimates for Alibaba Group Alibaba Stock Is Down 38% From Its 2025 High
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba launched approximately $450 Qwen-branded AI smart glasses, expanding beyond e-commerce and cloud into consumer hardware and creating another potential channel for AI services. Alibaba unveils $450 AI glasses
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba registered 100 million shares for an equity incentive plan. The move may help attract and retain AI and cloud talent, but could also create potential dilution for existing shareholders. Alibaba Registers 100 Million Shares for 2024 Equity Incentive Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that heavy AI and data-center investment is increasing cash burn before the new businesses generate sufficient returns. Traditional e-commerce declined, and Alibaba’s latest reported EPS missed consensus despite revenue slightly exceeding estimates. Those concerns, along with a broader decline in U.S.-traded Asian ADRs, are weighing on BABA. Alibaba: Enough Fuel To Power The Trillion-RMB Cloud Machine

Alibaba Group Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a technology and commerce company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China. It operates a broad digital ecosystem connecting consumers, merchants, brands and businesses through online marketplaces and related services.

The company's China commerce businesses include Taobao and Tmall, while its international commerce operations include Alibaba.com, AliExpress, Lazada and Trendyol. Alibaba also provides logistics services through Cainiao, consumer services through platforms such as Ele.me and Freshippo, and digital media and entertainment offerings.

Alibaba Cloud provides cloud computing, data management, artificial intelligence and other technology services to businesses and organizations.

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