Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. Boosts Stock Holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking sharply increased its Alibaba stake in the first quarter, boosting holdings by 6,498.5% to 26,064 shares worth about $3.27 million.
• Alibaba’s stock was trading around $96.25, near its 12-month low of $91.99 and well below its 12-month high of $192.67, while analysts still rate it a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $187.38.
• The company is facing a mix of positives and negatives, including continued AI-related activity and a new dividend, but also major overhangs such as a $600 million U.S. settlement and recent insider selling.

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. boosted its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 6,498.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,064 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 25,669 shares during the quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.'s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $3,270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% during 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. Capital World Investors raised its position in Alibaba Group by 1,074.9% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,038,318 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,079,229,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524,354 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $594,477,000. Coatue Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 130.1% in the 3rd quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 1,996,593 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $356,851,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128,826 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $160,410,000. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group Trading Up 0.1%

BABA stock opened at $96.25 on Friday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12 month low of $91.99 and a 12 month high of $192.67. The firm's 50-day moving average is $121.55 and its 200 day moving average is $137.98. The company has a market capitalization of $230.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The company 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 $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. This represents a yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio is 16.91%.

Key Headlines Impacting Alibaba Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s AI efforts continue to generate strategic interest: its Elements Claw AI agent reportedly discovered four new superconductors, and Alibaba also joined Kuaishou’s Kling AI fundraise alongside Tencent, signaling ongoing investment in China’s AI ecosystem. Article: Alibaba, Tencent back Kuaishou's Kling AI in $2.8 billion fundraise
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s move to streamline internal AI work tools and tighten security around employee use of third-party AI products may be seen as a governance and data-protection step, which could help reassure investors over time. Article: Alibaba Streamlines AI Work Tools as Competition Mounts
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage-coverage and “investor attention” headlines suggest BABA remains a heavily watched stock, but they do not add much new fundamental information by themselves. Article: Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba’s Damai International announced a new artist label and global initiative, which is a modest business update rather than a stock-moving catalyst. Article: Alibaba's Damai International Introduces New Label, Launches Global Artist Initiative
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba agreed to pay $600 million to settle U.S. allegations involving illegal pharmaceutical and chemical sales through its platforms, a major legal overhang that can weigh on sentiment and raise compliance concerns. Article: Alibaba to pay $600 million to U.S. for illegal pharmaceutical sales
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares add to a cautious tone, since large insider sales can be interpreted as reduced confidence, even if the sale may have been planned or tied to compensation. Article: Alibaba Group NYSE: BABA President Sells 720,000 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple headlines about Alibaba banning Anthropic’s Claude Code over alleged security or backdoor risks reinforce the idea of intensifying U.S.-China AI tensions and may keep investor sentiment cautious. Article: Alibaba to ban Claude Code in workplace over alleged backdoor risks, source says

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alibaba Group news, President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total transaction of $68,364,000.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 28,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,658,600. This trade represents a 96.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Siying Yu sold 6,772 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total value of $81,941.20. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 607,234 shares in the company, valued at $7,347,531.40. The trade was a 1.10% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 over the last 90 days. 12.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on BABA. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $209.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, DZ Bank downgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, March 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alibaba Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $187.38.

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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