Clough Capital Partners L P Increases Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Clough Capital Partners L P increased its position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 26.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 147,310 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 30,610 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group comprises 1.9% of Clough Capital Partners L P's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Clough Capital Partners L P's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $21,593,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BABA. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,505,165 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $953,527,000 after acquiring an additional 466,847 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,014,147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $881,554,000 after purchasing an additional 5,936,847 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,335,894 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $782,135,000 after purchasing an additional 42,297 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $594,477,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 17.7% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,987,539 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $533,964,000 after buying an additional 448,484 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on BABA. Jefferies Financial Group reduced 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. Wall Street Zen raised Alibaba Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Alibaba Group from $174.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Barclays upped their price target on Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, HSBC increased their target price on Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $188.76.

Key Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled new AI models built for robots, signaling a deeper push into “physical AI” and expanding its cloud/AI strategy beyond chatbots. Reuters article: Alibaba unveils AI models for robots, amid shift from chatbots to agents
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also widening its global reach, with reports on Alibaba Cloud’s international expansion and efforts to help Pakistani businesses sell more globally, which could support future revenue growth. China Daily article: Alibaba Cloud eyes faster globalization ProPakistani article: Alibaba Will Help Pakistani Businesses Sell More Globally
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary has been mixed: some see Alibaba’s Qwen-Robot initiative as strategically important, but others say rising costs, a valuation premium, and volatility could limit near-term upside. Zacks article: New Qwen Models Fuel BABA's Robotics Ambitions? Hold the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual options activity, with traders buying far more put options than usual, suggesting hedging or bearish sentiment, though it does not by itself prove a fundamental change.
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba remains under geopolitical pressure after the Pentagon blacklisted the company over alleged military ties, a headline that can weigh on sentiment despite Alibaba’s denial. Yahoo Finance article: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA): Looking Beyond Pentagon’s Black List
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary on Chinese stocks has been weak, with investors favoring AI winners elsewhere and leaving internet/consumer names like Alibaba out of favor. Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance article: China Stock Gauge Sinks as Traders Favor AI Winners Elsewhere
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Alibaba may be pursuing a large bid for grocery delivery company Pupu also raise execution and capital-allocation concerns, especially if the deal is expensive. Benzinga article: Alibaba Reportedly Eyeing A Super-Sized Bid For Pupu Following Meituan's Dingdong Deal

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

NYSE:BABA opened at $107.45 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $103.71 and a 12-month high of $192.67. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $129.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $257.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.47.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%.The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.91%.

Alibaba Group Profile

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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