Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report released on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Morgan Stanley currently has $180.00 price objective on the specialty retailer’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $100.00.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Benchmark upped their price target on Alibaba Group from $118.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com upgraded Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Alibaba Group from $125.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $144.07.

Alibaba Group Stock Up 3.9 %

Alibaba Group stock opened at $139.18 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $98.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market cap of $330.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.31. Alibaba Group has a 52 week low of $68.36 and a 52 week high of $145.30.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by ($0.07). Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 12.29%. The firm had revenue of $38.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.19 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $585,479,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 3,180.1% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,857,760 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $409,385,000 after purchasing an additional 3,740,150 shares during the last quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 64.1% during the third quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. now owns 8,827,600 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $936,785,000 after buying an additional 3,448,152 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 454.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,611,571 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $383,260,000 after buying an additional 2,959,954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 208.5% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,995,640 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $254,000,000 after acquiring an additional 2,024,640 shares during the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.