Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Trims Position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. decreased its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 14.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 493,227 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 82,719 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $41,821,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its position in Alibaba Group by 59.0% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 539 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Redwood Park Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Kieckhefer Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $55,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of Alibaba Group stock opened at $118.92 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $126.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $284.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.18, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $71.80 and a 12-month high of $148.43.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 12.29%. Analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 7.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BABA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Citigroup cut their price target on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Alibaba Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $100.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $150.36.

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.