Solstein Capital LLC Acquires 11,486 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Solstein Capital LLC increased its Alibaba stake by 77.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 11,486 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 26,367 shares worth about $3.865 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on Alibaba remains mixed but constructive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $188.76 despite some recent target cuts and hold ratings.
• Recent headlines around Alibaba include a reported $1.5 billion bid for grocery delivery firm Pupu and ongoing regulatory/legal concerns, including Beijing criticism of discount promotions and securities-fraud investigations.

Solstein Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 77.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,367 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 11,486 shares during the period. Alibaba Group accounts for approximately 1.5% of Solstein Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Solstein Capital LLC's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $3,865,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BABA. Argus raised shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective 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. Nomura increased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Two investment 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.com, Alibaba Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $188.76.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba reportedly offered about $1.5 billion to buy grocery delivery firm Pupu, a move that would expand its instant-retail and grocery push and sharpen its competition with Meituan. Alibaba Bids $1.5B for Pupu to Challenge Meituan in Grocery Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent analyst notes remain constructive, with price targets clustering well above the current trading range, suggesting some investors still see meaningful upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba also named a new CEO for DingTalk after internal debate over AI strategy, signaling ongoing management changes but not an immediate financial impact. Alibaba Names 34-Year-Old Tech Geek as DingTalk’s New CEO
• Negative Sentiment: Beijing reportedly criticized discount-heavy promotions during the 618 shopping festival, adding fresh regulatory risk for Alibaba and other Chinese e-commerce leaders. Alibaba and JD Slide After Beijing Rebuke
• Negative Sentiment: Two securities-fraud law firms announced continuing investigations into Alibaba, which can further hurt sentiment by raising litigation and governance concerns. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) Continues
• Negative Sentiment: The stock is also being weighed by reports that Alibaba was added to a U.S. Defense Department list of companies linked to China’s military, which could increase institutional caution toward the ADR. Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BABA opened at $112.71 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $270.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.47. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $130.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $143.93. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a one year low of $103.71 and a one year high of $192.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.28.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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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