Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Upgraded at DZ Bank

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA – Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at DZ Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $140.00 price objective on the specialty retailer’s stock. DZ Bank‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 37.99% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on BABA. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. Barclays increased their price target on Alibaba Group from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on Alibaba Group in a research report on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Alibaba Group from $164.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.53.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

BABA opened at $101.46 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $252.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.57, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.44. Alibaba Group has a 1-year low of $91.99 and a 1-year high of $181.10. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $107.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.36.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 14th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by ($0.68). The firm had revenue of $39.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.52 billion. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.79% and a net margin of 7.00%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $14.75 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Alibaba Group will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Yongming Wu bought 350,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.24 per share, with a total value of $4,984,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,364,418 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,429,312.32. This represents a 34.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Hong Xu sold 103,046 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.68, for a total transaction of $1,409,669.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 406,450 shares in the company, valued at $5,560,236. This trade represents a 20.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 999,971 shares of company stock valued at $13,563,304. Company insiders own 12.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BABA. Perseverance Asset Management International grew its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 14,416.0% during the third quarter. Perseverance Asset Management International now owns 493,399 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $53,060,000 after purchasing an additional 490,000 shares in the last quarter. TIAA CREF Individual & Institutional Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth about $212,000. Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth about $286,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth about $7,361,000. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 21.9% during the third quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. now owns 406,938 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $43,762,000 after buying an additional 73,099 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group News Summary

Here’s some of the latest news about BABA:

About Alibaba Group

(Get Free Report)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a technology and commerce company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China. It operates digital platforms that connect consumers, merchants, businesses and other participants in commerce. Its businesses include China-focused marketplaces such as Taobao and Tmall, international platforms including AliExpress and Alibaba.com, and Alibaba Cloud, which provides cloud computing and related technology services. The group also has operations in areas such as logistics, local services and digital media.

See Also

Analyst Recommendations for Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA)

Receive News & Ratings for Alibaba Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alibaba Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.