Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BABA. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $118.00 price objective on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Alibaba Group from $137.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.93.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BABA opened at $143.67 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $95.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $92.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $341.36 billion, a PE ratio of 29.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.37. Alibaba Group has a fifty-two week low of $68.36 and a fifty-two week high of $145.30.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 8.98% and a return on equity of 12.28%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BABA. Concord Wealth Partners grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 155.0% in the third quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 255 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised 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 worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Alibaba Group

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.