Altshuler Shaham Ltd Acquires Shares of 1,094,350 Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,094,350 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $160,410,000. Alibaba Group makes up about 2.4% of Altshuler Shaham Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third 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 purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of BABA opened at $107.45 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $257.79 billion, a PE ratio of 17.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.47. The company’s fifty day moving average is $129.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.81. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a fifty-two week low of $103.71 and a fifty-two week high of $192.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

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

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group’s payout ratio is presently 16.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BABA. Freedom Capital raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price 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. Zacks Research raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $209.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.76.

Key Stories Impacting Alibaba Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Alibaba Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled new AI models built for robots, signaling a deeper push into “physical AI” and expanding its cloud/AI strategy beyond chatbots. Reuters article: Alibaba unveils AI models for robots, amid shift from chatbots to agents
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also widening its global reach, with reports on Alibaba Cloud’s international expansion and efforts to help Pakistani businesses sell more globally, which could support future revenue growth. China Daily article: Alibaba Cloud eyes faster globalization ProPakistani article: Alibaba Will Help Pakistani Businesses Sell More Globally
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary has been mixed: some see Alibaba’s Qwen-Robot initiative as strategically important, but others say rising costs, a valuation premium, and volatility could limit near-term upside. Zacks article: New Qwen Models Fuel BABA’s Robotics Ambitions? Hold the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual options activity, with traders buying far more put options than usual, suggesting hedging or bearish sentiment, though it does not by itself prove a fundamental change.
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba remains under geopolitical pressure after the Pentagon blacklisted the company over alleged military ties, a headline that can weigh on sentiment despite Alibaba’s denial. Yahoo Finance article: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA): Looking Beyond Pentagon’s Black List
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary on Chinese stocks has been weak, with investors favoring AI winners elsewhere and leaving internet/consumer names like Alibaba out of favor. Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance article: China Stock Gauge Sinks as Traders Favor AI Winners Elsewhere
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Alibaba may be pursuing a large bid for grocery delivery company Pupu also raise execution and capital-allocation concerns, especially if the deal is expensive. Benzinga article: Alibaba Reportedly Eyeing A Super-Sized Bid For Pupu Following Meituan’s Dingdong Deal

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.