ProShare Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• ProShare Advisors LLC cut its Alibaba stake by 19.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 14,701 shares and ending with 62,335 shares worth about $9.14 million.
• Analysts remain mixed on Alibaba: several firms trimmed ratings or price targets, but the stock still carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $188.76.
• Alibaba recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $35.3 billion, and it also announced an annual dividend of $1.05 per share payable July 13.

ProShare Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 19.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 62,335 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 14,701 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $9,137,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth approximately $51,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BABA shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. DZ Bank cut shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $188.76.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 2.2%

BABA opened at $131.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.28. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $103.71 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67. The firm's fifty day moving average is $131.72 and its 200 day moving average is $148.00. The stock has a market cap of $315.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.50.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

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

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled its new Zhenwu M890 AI chip, which it says delivers three times the performance of its prior model, reinforcing its domestic semiconductor ambitions and broader AI strategy. Reuters: Alibaba unveils new AI chip in push for domestic alternatives
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent reports say Alibaba is entering a new phase of AI commercialization, with cloud and AI revenue growth accelerating and AI products becoming a larger part of the business. Seeking Alpha: Alibaba Is Becoming An AI Giant
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark reaffirmed its Buy rating and a $220 price target, reflecting continued analyst confidence in Alibaba’s AI and cloud expansion. Yahoo Finance: Benchmark Reaffirms Buy Rating on Alibaba (BABA) Following AI Cloud Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: One analysis said Alibaba’s revenue growth should improve meaningfully in fiscal 2027 as accounting changes and asset disposals fade, suggesting the current slowdown may be temporary. Seeking Alpha: Alibaba: Consolidated Revenue Growth Will Be Much Higher In FY2027
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still digesting weaker profitability and the company’s plan to spend more on AI and cloud infrastructure, which may pressure margins and free cash flow in the near term. Quiver Quant: Alibaba slides as investors digest profit squeeze and stepped-up AI spending plans

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.

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