J. Michael Evans Sells 720,000 Shares of Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) Stock

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) President J. Michael Evans sold 720,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.95, for a total value of $68,364,000.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 28,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,658,600. This trade represents a 96.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Alibaba Group Stock Down 1.8%

BABA opened at $96.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.28. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 12 month low of $91.99 and a 12 month high of $192.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $230.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.51. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $122.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $138.27.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $35.30 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 4.76% and a net margin of 10.31%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alibaba Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th will be paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 93.0%. Alibaba Group’s dividend payout ratio is 16.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BABA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $186.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. DZ Bank cut shares of Alibaba Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, March 20th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Alibaba Group from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Alibaba Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $209.00 target price on the stock. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $187.38.

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 BABA. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 7,680.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,014,147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $881,554,000 after acquiring an additional 5,936,847 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its position in Alibaba Group by 1,074.9% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,038,318 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,079,229,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524,354 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $594,477,000. Coatue Management LLC raised its stake in Alibaba Group by 130.1% during the third quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 1,996,593 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $356,851,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128,826 shares during the period. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $160,410,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Alibaba Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ant Group backed Zeroth Robotics in a new AI/robotics funding round, reinforcing Alibaba’s exposure to emerging technology growth areas. Article: Alibaba’s Ant Group backs Zeroth Robotics in latest AI venture
• Neutral Sentiment: Access Advance said Alibaba expanded its participation in the Video Distribution Patent Pool as a licensee, a strategic licensing move with limited near-term stock impact. Article: Access Advance and Alibaba Announce Alibaba’s Expanded Participation in the VDP Pool
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed FY2027 and FY2028 earnings estimates slightly, which signals caution but not a major downgrade in the outlook. Article: Alibaba Group analyst estimate updates
• Negative Sentiment: Alibaba agreed to pay $600 million to settle DOJ allegations over illegal drug and regulated-goods sales on its platforms, creating legal and reputational risk. Article: Alibaba, U.S. Payment Processor to Pay $600 Million in DOJ Settlement Over Illegal Drug Sales
• Negative Sentiment: News of a large insider stock sale by President J. Michael Evans may weigh on sentiment and adds to the cautious tone around the shares. Article: Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) President Sells 720,000 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder law firms have launched fraud/securities investigations, which could prolong legal overhang even without proven wrongdoing. Article: BABA Investors Have Opportunity to Join Alibaba Group Holding Limited Fraud Investigation with the Schall Law Firm

About Alibaba Group

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.