Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Osborne Partners Capital Management increased its Alibaba stake by 7.5% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 115,896 shares valued at about $14.54 million.
• Alibaba insiders have been selling shares recently, including President J. Michael Evans, who sold 720,000 shares; insiders have sold 920,303 shares over the last 90 days.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Alibaba, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.38, despite the stock trading well below its 52-week high.

Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 7.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 115,896 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 8,082 shares during the period. Osborne Partners Capital Management LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $14,540,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BABA. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alibaba Group news, General Counsel Siying Yu sold 6,772 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,347,531.40. This trade represents a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total value of $68,364,000.00. Following the sale, the president owned 28,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,658,600. This represents a 96.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 12.50% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BABA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Alibaba Group from $174.00 to $164.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Nomura lowered their price objective on Alibaba Group from $207.00 to $178.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $209.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $187.38.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

NYSE BABA opened at $96.25 on Friday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a one year low of $91.99 and a one year high of $192.67. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $121.55 and a 200 day moving average of $137.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $230.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.51.

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 for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

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 issued 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 currently 16.91%.

Alibaba Group News Summary

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

Alibaba Group Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.