Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Stock

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Barclays from $130.00 to $180.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 25.29% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho boosted their target price on Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $118.00 price target on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Alibaba Group from $117.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.93.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of BABA opened at $143.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $95.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $92.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $341.36 billion, a PE ratio of 20.76, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 0.31. Alibaba Group has a 1 year low of $68.36 and a 1 year high of $145.30.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.84 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 12.29% and a return on equity of 12.90%. On average, analysts predict that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Concord Wealth Partners raised its position in Alibaba Group by 155.0% in the third quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 255 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth $36,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Alibaba Group by 225.4% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 397 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.