Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $112.91.

BABA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. StockNews.com upgraded Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on Alibaba Group from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Mizuho reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Alibaba Group in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 184.6% in the 4th quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 333 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the period. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new stake in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC grew its position in Alibaba Group by 116.7% during the third quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 325 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of BABA opened at $68.82 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $73.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $76.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $174.62 billion, a PE ratio of 12.70 and a beta of 0.46. Alibaba Group has a one year low of $66.63 and a one year high of $102.50.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty retailer reported $18.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $19.12 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $260.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $260.26 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.75% and a return on equity of 12.65%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.44 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group will post 7.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.