Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $170.26 Million Position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its Alibaba stake by 52.9% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 402,000 shares and bringing its position to 1,161,556 shares worth about $170.26 million.
• Alibaba is increasingly being viewed as an AI and cloud growth story, with recent reports pointing to strong Cloud Intelligence growth and triple-digit AI revenue gains, though heavy investment in AI/cloud is pressuring margins in the near term.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive overall: analysts currently rate Alibaba a Moderate Buy on average, with a consensus price target of $188.76, while the stock recently traded around $133.30.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 52.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,161,556 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 402,000 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group comprises approximately 0.5% of Handelsbanken Fonder AB's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $170,261,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its position in Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. NBT Bank N A NY grew its position in Alibaba Group by 231.5% in the 3rd quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 179 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba is being re-rated as an AI growth story, with reports highlighting accelerating Cloud Intelligence growth and triple-digit AI revenue gains for multiple quarters, which could support a higher valuation over time. Alibaba: Now An AI Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles argue Alibaba may be entering a “new era” as it prioritizes AI and cloud expansion over short-term profitability, reinforcing the view that management is making strategic investments for future growth. Prediction: Alibaba Stock May Be Entering a New Era
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest remains strong, with Zacks noting that Alibaba is trending among users as they weigh the stock’s prospects and AI-driven upside potential. Is Trending Stock Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba’s latest quarterly update showed strong cloud and AI progress, but also confirmed that spending on AI and cloud infrastructure is squeezing margins in the near term. Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) Is Down 5.3% After Heavy AI And Cloud Spending Squeezes Margins
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba also filed a Form 13F and highlighted its WVR structure, a governance update that is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. Alibaba Files Form 13F as Investment Manager, Highlights WVR Structure

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Freedom Capital raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Arete Research raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BABA opened at $133.30 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average is $131.70 and its 200 day moving average is $148.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $319.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.50. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $103.71 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given a $1.05 dividend. This represents a yield of 72.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.60%.

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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