Natixis Advisors LLC Has $51.40 Million Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC has reduced its stake in Alibaba Group by 0.9%, selling 3,721 shares, and now holds 388,706 shares valued at about $51.4 million.
• Institutional investors currently own 13.47% of Alibaba's stock, with several funds acquiring new stakes during the first quarter of the year.
• Analyst ratings for Alibaba reflect a consensus of moderate buy with an average target price of $153.29, although Citigroup and Mizuho have recently lowered their target prices on the stock.

Natixis Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 388,706 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 3,721 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $51,399,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Greenleaf Trust lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 8,336 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,102,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 3.2% in the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 2,745 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 0.5% in the first quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 16,823 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,225,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Institute for Wealth Management LLC. lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.1% in the first quarter. Institute for Wealth Management LLC. now owns 8,578 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,134,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rings Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Rings Capital Management LLC now owns 7,100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $602,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BABA. Wall Street Zen lowered Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Barclays lowered their target price on Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Mizuho lowered their target price on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Arete Research lowered Alibaba Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $153.29.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of BABA stock traded down $3.57 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $117.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 12,191,248 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,678,762. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $115.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $117.96. The company has a market capitalization of $279.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.71, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.17. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $73.87 and a fifty-two week high of $148.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Alibaba Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a -- dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 12th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 80.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 12th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.75%.

About Alibaba Group

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.