Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Shares Down 2.1%

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)’s stock price was down 2.1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $80.80 and last traded at $80.96. Approximately 9,753,088 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 18,463,213 shares. The stock had previously closed at $82.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BABA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $121.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $109.96.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $75.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $206.20 billion, a PE ratio of 18.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.44.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a None dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 13th will be issued a $1.66 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 13th. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.84%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Sanders Capital LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 322.7% during the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 15,029,238 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,303,636,000 after acquiring an additional 11,473,618 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at $329,367,000. Blue Pool Management Ltd. bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at $151,726,000. H&H International Investment LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. H&H International Investment LLC now owns 4,959,230 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $384,390,000 after acquiring an additional 1,918,730 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ruffer LLP increased its position in Alibaba Group by 139.2% during the fourth quarter. Ruffer LLP now owns 3,140,839 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $243,430,000 after acquiring an additional 1,828,019 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

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.