AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc Raises Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc raised its position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 26.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,518 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 5,876 shares during the period. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $3,770,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL boosted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 59.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 539 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Redwood Park Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $52,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Brown Shipley& Co Ltd lifted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 279.1% in the 4th quarter. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd now owns 652 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BABA has been the subject of a number of research reports. Benchmark dropped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $176.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen cut Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Loop Capital set a $176.00 price target on Alibaba Group in a report on Friday, May 16th. Arete Research raised Alibaba Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Alibaba Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $104.00 to $165.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $154.21.

Alibaba Group Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE BABA traded up $0.54 on Thursday, reaching $119.99. The stock had a trading volume of 15,323,946 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,994,634. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $286.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.24. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $71.80 and a 12-month high of $148.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $118.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $109.35.

Alibaba Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a -- dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 12th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.83%.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.