Ruffer LLP Boosts Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Ruffer LLP lifted its holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 12.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 384,886 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 42,214 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group comprises 3.8% of Ruffer LLP’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Ruffer LLP’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $68,789,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BABA. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 40.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,411 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 981 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $254,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 35.2% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 69,245 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $7,853,000 after purchasing an additional 18,012 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas increased its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 36.4% in the second quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 3,522 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 940 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $15,318,000. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on BABA shares. Nomura lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $193.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Macquarie reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Freedom Capital cut shares of Alibaba Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Loop Capital set a $140.00 target price on shares of Alibaba Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Alibaba Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alibaba Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $195.17.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Alibaba Group stock opened at $175.77 on Thursday. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 1-year low of $95.73 and a 1-year high of $192.67. The company’s 50-day moving average is $157.83 and its 200 day moving average is $151.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.46.

Alibaba Group Profile

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.