StockNews.com Upgrades Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on BABA. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $118.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $137.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.93.

Alibaba Group Stock Up 5.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BABA traded up $7.70 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $143.67. 73,657,797 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 30,282,477. The stock has a market cap of $341.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $94.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $92.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Alibaba Group has a 12-month low of $68.36 and a 12-month high of $145.30.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 the consensus estimate of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.28% and a net margin of 8.98%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sanders Capital LLC boosted its position in Alibaba Group by 0.3% during the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 18,460,434 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,959,021,000 after purchasing an additional 60,667 shares in the last quarter. Appaloosa LP lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 18.4% during the fourth quarter. Appaloosa LP now owns 11,843,158 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,004,181,000 after buying an additional 1,843,158 shares in the last quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. grew its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. now owns 8,827,600 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $936,785,000 after buying an additional 3,448,152 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $585,479,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Alibaba Group by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,676,773 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $566,124,000 after acquiring an additional 438,537 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

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.