Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. Makes New $232,000 Investment in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. purchased a new position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,188 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $232,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Alibaba Group in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 139.3% in the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 359 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Alibaba Group in the first quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 315.0% in the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 527 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

Alibaba Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Alibaba Group stock traded up $1.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $97.42. 16,977,095 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,862,814. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $94.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $83.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $247.20 billion, a PE ratio of 22.71, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.35. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a one year low of $66.63 and a one year high of $117.82.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 15th. The specialty retailer reported $16.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $14.57. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 7.31%. The business had revenue of $243.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $248.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.47 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 7.93 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BABA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Alibaba Group from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on Alibaba Group from $135.00 to $130.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Alibaba Group from $88.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Macquarie raised Alibaba Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $145.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $114.00.

Alibaba Group 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.