Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Trading 3.7% Higher – Should You Buy?

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) shares were up 3.7% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $147.10 and last traded at $146.28. Approximately 15,606,012 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 18,831,173 shares. The stock had previously closed at $141.10.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised Alibaba Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $100.00 to $180.00 in a report on Monday, February 24th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com raised Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $144.07.

Alibaba Group Stock Up 4.8 %

The company has a market capitalization of $351.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.36, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $110.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.48.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.84 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $38.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 12.29%. Equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 52,563 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,578,000 after purchasing an additional 3,046 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 225.4% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 397 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $762,000. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at $206,000. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 49.8% in the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,689 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,240,000 after buying an additional 3,885 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.