Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA Shares Sold by Ionic Capital Management LLC

Ionic Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 36.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,994 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 5,262 shares during the period. Ionic Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $1,318,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bleakley Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 16,420 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,407,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 20.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 426 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. TrueWealth Financial Partners boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 1.7% during the third quarter. TrueWealth Financial Partners now owns 4,361 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $779,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cypress Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 1,418 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $208,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

More Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba unveiled new AI models built for robots, signaling a deeper push into “physical AI” and expanding its cloud/AI strategy beyond chatbots. Reuters article: Alibaba unveils AI models for robots, amid shift from chatbots to agents
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also widening its global reach, with reports on Alibaba Cloud’s international expansion and efforts to help Pakistani businesses sell more globally, which could support future revenue growth. China Daily article: Alibaba Cloud eyes faster globalization ProPakistani article: Alibaba Will Help Pakistani Businesses Sell More Globally
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary has been mixed: some see Alibaba’s Qwen-Robot initiative as strategically important, but others say rising costs, a valuation premium, and volatility could limit near-term upside. Zacks article: New Qwen Models Fuel BABA’s Robotics Ambitions? Hold the Stock Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also unusual options activity, with traders buying far more put options than usual, suggesting hedging or bearish sentiment, though it does not by itself prove a fundamental change.
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba remains under geopolitical pressure after the Pentagon blacklisted the company over alleged military ties, a headline that can weigh on sentiment despite Alibaba’s denial. Yahoo Finance article: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA): Looking Beyond Pentagon’s Black List
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary on Chinese stocks has been weak, with investors favoring AI winners elsewhere and leaving internet/consumer names like Alibaba out of favor. Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance article: China Stock Gauge Sinks as Traders Favor AI Winners Elsewhere
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Alibaba may be pursuing a large bid for grocery delivery company Pupu also raise execution and capital-allocation concerns, especially if the deal is expensive. Benzinga article: Alibaba Reportedly Eyeing A Super-Sized Bid For Pupu Following Meituan’s Dingdong Deal

Alibaba Group Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of NYSE BABA opened at $107.45 on Thursday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12-month low of $103.71 and a 12-month high of $192.67. The company has a market capitalization of $257.79 billion, a PE ratio of 17.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $129.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.81.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 4.76%. The company had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Equities analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be given 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 payout ratio is currently 16.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on BABA shares. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $209.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Argus raised shares of Alibaba Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $188.76.

Alibaba Group 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.