Alibaba Group Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:BABA)

Posted by George Bondi on Jun 17th, 2026

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 238,620 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 49% compared to the average daily volume of 159,848 put options.

Alibaba Group News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Alibaba expanded its AI strategy by unveiling new Qwen models built for robots, signaling it wants to move beyond chatbots and deepen its role in “physical AI” and enterprise automation. That could support longer-term cloud and AI monetization. Reuters: Alibaba unveils AI models for robots, amid shift from chatbots to agents
Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Alibaba Cloud’s push to globalize faster and its efforts to help small and medium-sized businesses sell more internationally, which may reinforce its cloud and cross-border commerce growth story. China Daily: Alibaba Cloud eyes faster globalization ProPakistani: Alibaba Will Help Pakistani Businesses Sell More Globally
Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage also noted Alibaba’s talks to acquire grocery delivery company Pupu, but the deal is not confirmed and could be viewed as a strategic expansion rather than an immediate earnings driver. Retail Insight Network: Alibaba in talks to acquire Chinese grocery delivery company
Negative Sentiment: Alibaba continues to face headline risk after the Pentagon blacklisted the company over alleged military ties, a claim Alibaba denies and is fighting. Even if the allegations are unresolved, the issue adds uncertainty for investors. Yahoo Finance: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA): Looking Beyond Pentagon’s Black List
Negative Sentiment: Broader weakness in Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks and rotation into AI supply-chain winners elsewhere is weighing on sentiment toward Alibaba and other internet names. Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance: China Stock Gauge Sinks as Traders Favor AI Winners Elsewhere
Negative Sentiment: Some commentary questioned whether Alibaba’s robotics AI push can offset rising costs, valuation concerns, and near-term volatility, suggesting investors may be waiting for clearer evidence of monetization. Yahoo Finance/Zacks: New Qwen Models Fuel BABA’s Robotics Ambitions

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on BABA shares. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Argus raised shares of Alibaba Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Alibaba Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Zacks Research raised Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.76.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Trading Down 3.2%

BABA stock traded down $3.52 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $107.45. 13,168,485 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,782,520. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $257.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $129.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $143.17. Alibaba Group has a 1 year low of $103.71 and a 1 year high of $192.67.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Alibaba Group will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Alibaba Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 93.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio is 16.91%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its stake in Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the third quarter worth $30,000. Hoey Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 95.2% in the first quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 205 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

About Alibaba Group

(Get Free Report)

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.