Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Given New $190.00 Price Target at Benchmark

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) had its price objective upped by Benchmark from $118.00 to $190.00 in a research report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on BABA. Mizuho raised their price objective 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 raised their price target on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Alibaba Group from $125.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup raised their price target on Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Two 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.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.93.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

NYSE:BABA opened at $143.67 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization 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 has a 1 year low of $68.36 and a 1 year high of $145.30. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $93.09. 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 (NYSE:BABA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.84 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 12.29% and a return on equity of 12.90%. Equities analysts forecast that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Concord Wealth Partners raised its position in Alibaba Group by 155.0% during the 3rd quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 255 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 225.4% in the 3rd 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. 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.