Strs Ohio Sells 84,313 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Strs Ohio cut its Alibaba stake by 22.6% in Q1, selling 84,313 shares and leaving it with 289,494 shares valued at about $36.3 million.
• Alibaba shares were trading near $96.25, well below both their 52-week high of $192.67 and their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting a weaker recent price trend.
• Wall Street remains generally positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $187.38, even as insider selling and recent legal and security-related headlines add caution.

Strs Ohio reduced its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 22.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 289,494 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 84,313 shares during the period. Strs Ohio's holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $36,320,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,014,147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $881,554,000 after acquiring an additional 5,936,847 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 1,074.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,038,318 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,079,229,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524,354 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter worth $594,477,000. Coatue Management LLC raised its holdings in Alibaba Group by 130.1% in the 3rd quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 1,996,593 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $356,851,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128,826 shares during the period. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter worth $160,410,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of BABA stock opened at $96.25 on Friday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52-week low of $91.99 and a 52-week 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.80, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $121.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.98.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%. On average, analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors 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 payout ratio is currently 16.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. HSBC lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $172.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Freedom Capital upgraded Alibaba Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $187.38.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the president owned 28,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,658,600. The trade was a 96.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Fang Jiang sold 4,898 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.09, for a total transaction of $59,216.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,559,511 shares in the company, valued at $67,214,487.99. This trade represents a 0.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 920,303 shares of company stock worth $70,796,370 over the last ninety days. 12.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Alibaba Group

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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