Sanctuary Advisors LLC Sells 18,293 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC cut its Alibaba stake by 24.2% in the first quarter, selling 18,293 shares and leaving it with 57,310 shares worth about $7.19 million.
• Alibaba’s stock opened at $115.04, with a market cap of $276.18 billion and a price still well below its 52-week high of $192.67. The company’s recent quarterly results showed $35.3 billion in revenue and just $0.01 EPS.
• Recent headlines were mixed, with positive AI-related developments such as Alibaba’s Qwen model partnering in Apple Intelligence’s China launch, but also negative legal overhang from multiple investor investigations and some weaker business conditions in parts of the company.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 24.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,310 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 18,293 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $7,190,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hoey Investments Inc. increased its stake in Alibaba Group by 95.2% during the 1st quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 205 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Palladiem LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 15,000.0% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of Alibaba Group stock opened at $115.04 on Friday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $91.99 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $276.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.51. The company's 50 day moving average price is $116.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.22.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) 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 during the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, General Counsel Siying Yu sold 6,772 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total transaction of $81,941.20. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 607,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,347,531.40. The trade was a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 28,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,658,600. This represents a 96.26% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock worth $70,796,370. Company insiders own 12.50% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Alibaba Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for use on iPhones and other Apple devices in the country, with Alibaba’s Qwen model as a key partner. That strengthens Alibaba’s position in AI and could create a meaningful catalyst for growth. Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Alibaba favorably overall, with reports noting an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation. Alibaba Group Holding Limited Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary around China’s push for broader, lower-cost AI and new model launches such as Kimi K3 is reinforcing interest in the Chinese AI sector, which can spill over positively to Alibaba as a leading domestic AI name. What Is Kimi K3? The Chinese AI Model That Has Wall Street Talking
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2028 earnings estimate slightly for Alibaba and also nudged down FY2027 estimates, reflecting a more cautious near-term outlook rather than a major deterioration. Erste Group Bank lowered Alibaba earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba’s online travel unit reportedly cut jobs as business conditions remain weak, pointing to internal cost pressure and uneven performance in parts of the company. Alibaba’s Online Travel Arm Slashes Jobs as Business Struggles
• Negative Sentiment: Separate law firms have announced investor investigations into Alibaba, adding legal overhang and uncertainty that can weigh on the shares. Alibaba Investor News from Rosen Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: Another legal investigation was announced by Pomerantz LLP, reinforcing concerns about potential securities claims and headline risk for BABA. Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Alibaba Group Holding Limited - BABA

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BABA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Alibaba Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Alibaba Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. DZ Bank cut shares of Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $186.90.

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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