Allianz SE Has $6.53 Million Stock Holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Allianz SE sharply increased its Alibaba stake in the fourth quarter, boosting holdings by 80.4% to 44,576 shares valued at about $6.53 million.
• Wall Street remains cautiously positive on BABA, with analysts assigning a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $188.76.
• Alibaba’s stock is under pressure despite ongoing business activity: it recently traded at $112.71, well below its 52-week high of $192.67, while the company faces both growth initiatives, such as a reported $1.5 billion Pupu bid, and risks from regulatory and legal scrutiny.

Allianz SE increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 80.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,576 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 19,866 shares during the quarter. Allianz SE's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $6,534,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on BABA. Erste Group Bank downgraded Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. HSBC boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Argus upgraded Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Barclays boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

BABA stock opened at $112.71 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $130.07 and its 200-day moving average is $143.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $270.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.47. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a twelve month low of $103.71 and a twelve month high of $192.67.

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 for the quarter. The company had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%. Equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th will be paid 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 (DPR) is presently 16.91%.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba reportedly offered about $1.5 billion to buy grocery delivery firm Pupu, a move that would expand its instant-retail and grocery push and sharpen its competition with Meituan. Alibaba Bids $1.5B for Pupu to Challenge Meituan in Grocery Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent analyst notes remain constructive, with price targets clustering well above the current trading range, suggesting some investors still see meaningful upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba also named a new CEO for DingTalk after internal debate over AI strategy, signaling ongoing management changes but not an immediate financial impact. Alibaba Names 34-Year-Old Tech Geek as DingTalk’s New CEO
• Negative Sentiment: Beijing reportedly criticized discount-heavy promotions during the 618 shopping festival, adding fresh regulatory risk for Alibaba and other Chinese e-commerce leaders. Alibaba and JD Slide After Beijing Rebuke
• Negative Sentiment: Two securities-fraud law firms announced continuing investigations into Alibaba, which can further hurt sentiment by raising litigation and governance concerns. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) Continues
• Negative Sentiment: The stock is also being weighed by reports that Alibaba was added to a U.S. Defense Department list of companies linked to China’s military, which could increase institutional caution toward the ADR. Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

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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