Sentry Investment Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Sentry Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 20.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,903 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 1,261 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $416,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Alibaba Group by 3,180.1% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,857,760 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $409,385,000 after acquiring an additional 3,740,150 shares during the last quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hhlr Advisors LTD. now owns 8,827,600 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $936,785,000 after purchasing an additional 3,448,152 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 454.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,611,571 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $383,260,000 after purchasing an additional 2,959,954 shares in the last quarter. Aspex Management HK Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $115,995,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $63,929,000. 13.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

BABA stock opened at $128.87 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $306.18 billion, a PE ratio of 18.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $96.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.43. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52-week low of $68.36 and a 52-week high of $145.30.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last posted its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $38.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.19 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 12.29% and a return on equity of 12.89%. Analysts predict that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BABA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $118.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Alibaba Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $100.00 to $180.00 in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Alibaba Group from $125.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Alibaba Group from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.36.

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.