Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Increases Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners LLP increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 6.1%, acquiring an additional 10,878 shares for a total of 188,172 shares valued at approximately $24.9 million.
• Multiple institutional investors initiated or increased their holdings in Alibaba during the first quarter, with 13.47% of the stock now owned by institutional players.
• Analysts have recently adjusted their price targets for Alibaba, with a mixed consensus; Bank of America lowering its target to $135 while maintaining a "buy" rating.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 6.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 188,172 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 10,878 shares during the quarter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $24,882,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of BABA. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 2.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,790,973 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $236,820,000 after buying an additional 49,488 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 5.7% in the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 20,921 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,766,000 after buying an additional 1,125 shares in the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the first quarter worth approximately $444,000. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 97.7% in the first quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 6,448 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $853,000 after buying an additional 3,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the first quarter worth approximately $72,975,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of BABA traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $121.12. The stock had a trading volume of 11,116,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,711,124. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.55. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52-week low of $79.21 and a 52-week high of $148.43. The business's fifty day moving average is $116.23 and its 200 day moving average is $120.46. The firm has a market cap of $288.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.17.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BABA. Arete downgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $153.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Arete Research downgraded shares of Alibaba Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $153.29.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.