WCM Investment Management LLC Grows Position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 347.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 249,736 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 193,947 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $30,463,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hoey Investments Inc. lifted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 95.2% in the 1st quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 205 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its stake in Alibaba Group by 15,000.0% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on BABA shares. Susquehanna upped their target price on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Argus raised Alibaba Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $186.90.

Key Headlines Impacting Alibaba Group

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 news, CEO Fan (Fj) Jiang sold 13,579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total value of $164,305.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 556,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,735,065.70. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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 the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total transaction of $68,364,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 28,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,658,600. This trade represents a 96.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock worth $70,796,370 in the last quarter. 12.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of BABA stock opened at $115.04 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $116.66 and a 200 day moving average of $135.13. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1 year low of $91.99 and a 1 year high of $192.67. 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 capitalization of $275.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.51.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last posted 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 for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%. As a group, research analysts expect that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

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

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.