O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Boosts Holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• O Shaughnessy Asset Management increased its Alibaba stake by 5.9% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 249,987 shares worth about $36.6 million.
• Several other major institutions also expanded or initiated positions in BABA, including Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, Capital World Investors, and Norges Bank, signaling continued institutional interest in the stock.
• Recent developments were mixed but mostly constructive: Alibaba was upgraded by Zacks to “hold”, is being considered as a potential bidder for South Korea’s Homeplus, and was highlighted as a China AI stock to watch, while broader U.S.-China tech scrutiny remains a headwind.

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 249,987 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 13,932 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $36,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in BABA. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,014,147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $881,554,000 after purchasing an additional 5,936,847 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 1,074.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,038,318 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,079,229,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524,354 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $594,477,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth $290,208,000. Finally, Trivest Advisors Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth $202,126,000. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba was upgraded by Zacks Research from “strong sell” to “hold,” which suggests sentiment around the stock is improving modestly and may support investor confidence. Zacks Research upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba is being considered as a potential bidder for South Korea’s Homeplus, a move that could help expand its offline retail and e-commerce presence outside China if it decides to pursue the deal. Alibaba Weighs Homeplus Bid To Shape Offline Retail Expansion Abroad
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba was included in a report highlighting Chinese AI stocks to consider in 2026, reinforcing the market’s view that the company could benefit from rising interest in China’s AI and semiconductor ecosystem. 3 Chinese AI stocks to consider in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba and its Daraz unit met with government officials for a budget consultation, which may be relevant to policy and e-commerce discussion but does not appear to be an immediate stock-moving catalyst. Govt Holds Budget 2026-27 Consultation With Daraz and Alibaba
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate research roundup on Alibaba, Broadcom, and Cisco noted AI, networking, and cloud growth themes, which keeps Alibaba in the conversation as an AI and cloud-related name. Top Stock Reports for Broadcom, Cisco & Alibaba
• Negative Sentiment: Broader China tech sentiment has been pressured by fresh U.S. scrutiny over possible AI chip export loopholes benefiting Chinese firms, which can weigh on Alibaba shares even though the probe is more directly aimed at Nvidia. Trump Officials Worry US Loophole Let Chinese Firms Buy Nvidia Blackwell Chips

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on BABA shares. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Argus upgraded shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $174.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alibaba Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Alibaba Group stock opened at $120.92 on Monday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52 week low of $103.71 and a 52 week high of $192.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $130.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $145.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $290.10 billion, a PE ratio of 19.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.47.

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

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 72.0%. Alibaba Group's payout ratio 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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