Erste Group Bank Expects Weaker Earnings for Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for Alibaba Group in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, June 25th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the specialty retailer will post earnings per share of $5.73 for the year, down from their previous forecast of $5.86. The consensus estimate for Alibaba Group’s current full-year earnings is $6.69 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Alibaba Group’s FY2028 earnings at $8.42 EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Nomura decreased their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $207.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alibaba Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $187.38.

Alibaba Group Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:BABA opened at $95.99 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market cap of $230.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.47. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $123.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.11. Alibaba Group has a 12-month low of $91.99 and a 12-month high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%.The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Alibaba Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BABA. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 101.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Hoey Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 95.2% during the first quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 205 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alibaba Group

In other Alibaba Group news, insider Fang Jiang sold 4,898 shares of Alibaba Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.09, for a total transaction of $59,216.82. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,559,511 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $67,214,487.99. The trade was a 0.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Fan (Fj) Jiang sold 13,579 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total transaction of $164,305.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 556,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,735,065.70. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last three months, insiders sold 200,303 shares of company stock valued at $2,432,370. 12.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

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

Alibaba Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and recent commentary continue to point to Alibaba’s AI-driven digital commerce ecosystem, merchant monetization, and quick commerce expansion as potential drivers of fiscal 2027 growth. Article: Can Alibaba’s Digital Commerce Ecosystem Drive FY2027 Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street targets referenced in recent coverage remain well above the current trading range, suggesting some analysts still see meaningful upside in BABA over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba disclosed modest Q2 2026 lobbying activity tied to e-commerce and trade issues, which looks routine rather than a major business concern. Article: Lobbying Update: $60,000 of ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED lobbying was just disclosed
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insider sales were reported by senior executives, but the filings indicate they were mainly for tax withholding tied to vested equity awards, which makes the signal less bearish than it might first appear.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around China’s push for domestic semiconductors is more of a broader China tech theme than a direct catalyst for Alibaba shares. Article: China Wants Its Own Chips. Now There’s an ETF for It
• Negative Sentiment: ARK Investment Management reportedly cut exposure to Alibaba as part of a shift into U.S.-listed crypto and digital-asset names, adding to short-term selling pressure. Article: Cathie Wood’s ARK Buys More Coinbase, Circle And Bullish Shares – While Cutting Alibaba, Baidu
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba was named in investor-investigation headlines, which can weigh on sentiment because they raise the possibility of legal scrutiny or shareholder claims. Article: Alibaba Group Holding Limited Investigated on Behalf of Investors – Contact the DJS Law Group to Discuss Your Rights – BABA
• Negative Sentiment: New U.S. restrictions also forced Alibaba to lose several lobbying firms, highlighting ongoing geopolitical and regulatory pressure on Chinese technology companies. Article: Alibaba Loses 5 Lobbying Firms as US Restrictions Hit

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.