StockNews.com Upgrades Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) to “Buy”

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

BABA has been the subject of several other research reports. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $118.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Friday, November 15th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $137.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.93.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

BABA opened at $143.67 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $95.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $92.99. Alibaba Group has a 1-year low of $68.36 and a 1-year high of $145.30. The company has a market cap of $341.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.76, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 0.31.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last announced its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 12.29% and a return on equity of 12.90%. On average, analysts expect that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Concord Wealth Partners boosted its position 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 225.4% in 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

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.