Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on BABA. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Freedom Capital cut shares of Alibaba Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Nomura increased their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $193.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Loop Capital set a $140.00 price target on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Argus raised Alibaba Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.68.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of BABA stock opened at $131.65 on Wednesday. Alibaba Group has a 12 month low of $103.71 and a 12 month high of $192.67. The company has a market capitalization of $314.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $135.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $152.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $40.71 billion during the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 9.12%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Alibaba Group will post 4.39 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 15,000.0% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 3.0% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,469 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $686,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 60,442 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $7,583,000 after acquiring an additional 11,663 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Services grew its position in Alibaba Group by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 2,887 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $362,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN AMRO Bank N.V. grew its position in Alibaba Group by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. now owns 3,994 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $504,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba has opened its Qwen AI to China Eastern, enabling natural‑language flight search, booking and management — a clear step toward monetizing Qwen via airline and travel integrations that could drive enterprise revenue. Alibaba Opens Qwen AI To China Eastern, Enabling Flight Booking Via Chat
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba Cloud’s collaboration with 0G to make Qwen models accessible on‑chain opens new distribution channels to autonomous AI agents and Web3 developers — a strategic infrastructure move that may expand model usage and developer engagement. 0G to Make Alibaba’s Qwen wModels Accessible to AI Agents via Blockchain Integration
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Alibaba is in talks with Tencent to invest in AI startup DeepSeek (valuation >$20B) signal a potential strategic bet to secure cutting‑edge AI capabilities and partnerships that could bolster Alibaba’s long‑term AI roadmap. Tencent, Alibaba in talks to invest in DeepSeek, The Information reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Alibaba.com’s leadership is highlighting AI tools for small businesses — an encouraging messaging point for merchant adoption but with unclear near‑term revenue impact. Alibaba.com president: How small businesses win online
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reports reaffirm Alibaba’s strong position in China’s social commerce market, supporting long‑term growth thesis in integrated content+transaction commerce. China Social Commerce Market Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Tencent’s unveiling of an upgraded foundational model underscores intensifying AI competition in China — a near‑term headwind for investor sentiment as rivals vie for talent, partnerships and enterprise deals. Tencent Unveils AI Model in High‑Stakes Test for OpenAI Hire
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes regulators are closely watching platform firms and their data‑rich AI activities; that scrutiny could complicate large investments, partnerships or monetization efforts in the near term. Alibaba Weighs DeepSeek AI Stake As Social Commerce Role Expands

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.