Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Shares Down 2.1% – Time to Sell?

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) shares traded down 2.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $113.94 and last traded at $115.0370. Approximately 11,241,015 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 12,257,014 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.49.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Apple received approval to launch Apple Intelligence in China using Alibaba’s Qwen model, which highlights Alibaba’s AI platform and could create a meaningful new partnership-driven growth opportunity. Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu
• Positive Sentiment: China’s broader AI push and investor enthusiasm around local AI champions have lifted sentiment toward Alibaba and other Chinese tech stocks. Xi Vows to Make AI for All in Debut at China’s Top Tech Summit

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BABA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research raised Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Alibaba Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $186.90.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $276.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $117.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.36.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $35.30 billion during the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th were paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 11th. This represents a yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group’s payout ratio is presently 16.91%.

Insider Transactions at Alibaba Group

In other news, CEO Fan (Fj) Jiang sold 13,579 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total transaction of $164,305.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 556,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,735,065.70. The trade was a 2.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Fang Jiang sold 4,898 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,559,511 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,214,487.99. The trade was a 0.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 over the last three months. 12.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Hoey Investments Inc. grew its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Palladiem LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 15,000.0% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Alibaba Group

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.