Analysts Set Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Target Price at $148.14

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $148.14.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BABA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Alibaba Group from $125.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup increased their target price on Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Alibaba Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $100.00 to $180.00 in a report on Monday, February 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $104.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its holdings in Alibaba Group by 59.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 539 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Redwood Park Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

NYSE BABA opened at $132.32 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $122.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Alibaba Group has a 12-month low of $68.36 and a 12-month high of $148.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $314.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.28.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last released its earnings results 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). Alibaba Group had a net margin of 12.29% and a return on equity of 12.89%. The firm had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.19 billion. Analysts forecast that Alibaba Group will post 7.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Alibaba Group

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.