Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC Makes New Investment in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Spartan Wealth Advisory Services opened a new position in Alibaba Group, buying 4,839 shares valued at about $607,000 in the first quarter.
• Institutional interest in Alibaba remains significant, with hedge funds and other investors owning 13.47% of the stock; several large funds recently added stakes, including Northwestern Mutual and Norges Bank.
• Alibaba faces a mixed backdrop: analysts still rate the stock Moderate Buy on average, but the company has also seen insider selling and fresh legal investigations that could weigh on sentiment.

Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,839 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $607,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% during the fourth 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. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $594,477,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $160,410,000. Third Point LLC acquired a new position in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $120,928,000. Finally, Bbfit Investments PTE Ltd. acquired a new position in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $106,828,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company's stock.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

BABA stock opened at $115.04 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $116.66 and a 200-day moving average of $135.13. The company has a market cap of $275.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $91.99 and a 12-month high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%.The business had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities analysts expect that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on BABA shares. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $209.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Nomura reduced their target price on Alibaba Group from $207.00 to $178.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $186.90.

Alibaba Group News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alibaba Group news, insider Fang Jiang sold 4,898 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.09, for a total value of $59,216.82. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,559,511 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $67,214,487.99. This represents a 0.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 Alibaba Group stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total value of $68,364,000.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 28,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,658,600. This trade represents a 96.26% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 in the last three months. 12.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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