AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Increases Stock Holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• AustralianSuper Pty Ltd sharply increased its stake in Alibaba, boosting holdings by 2,459.4% in the fourth quarter to 261,344 shares worth about $38.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mostly bullish, with analysts assigning a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $189, even as some firms trimmed or raised targets.
• Alibaba’s stock and fundamentals show mixed signals: shares opened at $141.08, the company reported just $0.01 EPS on $35.3 billion in revenue last quarter, and investors are watching whether heavy AI and cloud spending will eventually improve profitability.

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 2,459.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 261,344 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 251,133 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $38,308,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group during the third quarter worth $30,000. NBT Bank N A NY increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 231.5% during the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 179 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on BABA shares. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $209.00 price target for the company. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Nomura upped their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $193.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $189.00.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of NYSE:BABA opened at $141.08 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $338.45 billion, a PE ratio of 23.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.50. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1 year low of $103.71 and a 1 year high of $192.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The firm's 50-day moving average is $131.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $149.49.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last posted 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 4.82%. The business had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. Analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.7 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 72.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.92%.

Alibaba Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street raised confidence in Alibaba’s AI/cloud turnaround, with HSBC, JPMorgan, Barclays, and Mizuho all lifting targets and reiterating bullish ratings. MarketScreener Latest Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s cloud business grew 38% year over year, reinforcing the view that AI and cloud are becoming the company’s main growth engines. Alibaba quarterly revenue rises 3%, missing estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management said AI spending may rise above prior plans, suggesting Alibaba is leaning harder into its long-term AI strategy and may be building a stronger competitive position. AI Is Becoming Alibaba's New Money Machine: Analyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching China-related headlines, including reports that the U.S. approved Nvidia H200 sales to Chinese firms such as Alibaba, which could matter for the broader AI ecosystem but is not a direct earnings driver yet. Nvidia Stock Extends Winning Streak On China News
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba’s quarterly results still showed pressure on profitability, with earnings missing estimates as heavy AI and commerce investment weighed on margins and core profit. Alibaba's core profit plunges 84% even as AI and cloud growth accelerate
• Negative Sentiment: The revenue beat/ miss mix was not clean: overall revenue growth was modest, and investors remain concerned that AI spending could take time to translate into stronger near-term profits. Alibaba's Quarterly Profitability Still Under Pressure

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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