Thornburg Investment Management Inc. Purchases 30,644 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Key Points

• Thornburg Investment Management increased its Alibaba stake by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 30,644 more shares and bringing its total holding to 584,028 shares worth about $85.6 million.
• Alibaba’s stock was trading around $112.71, well below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, even as analysts maintained a generally constructive view with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $188.76.
• The company recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share on $35.3 billion in revenue and announced an annual dividend of $1.05 per share, while also facing mixed news including expansion efforts, regulatory scrutiny, and ongoing securities-fraud investigations.

Thornburg Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 584,028 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 30,644 shares during the period. Alibaba Group makes up 1.1% of Thornburg Investment Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Thornburg Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $85,607,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third 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 period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE BABA opened at $112.71 on Monday. 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 50-day simple moving average of $130.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.81. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a twelve month low of $103.71 and a twelve month high of $192.67. The stock has a market cap of $270.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.48.

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 business had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Shareholders 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 yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BABA shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alibaba Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $188.76.

Key Headlines Impacting Alibaba Group

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?

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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