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

Thornburg Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 5.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 584,028 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 30,644 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group accounts for about 1.1% of Thornburg Investment Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Thornburg Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $85,607,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BABA. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of Alibaba Group stock opened at $112.71 on Monday. 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 cap of $270.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.48. 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 fifty-two week low of $103.71 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. Sell-side analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BABA shares. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Nomura raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $174.00 to $164.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Alibaba Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two equities research 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 MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $188.76.

Key Stories 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?

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.