Pale Fire Capital SE Buys New Stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited $BABA

Pale Fire Capital SE purchased a new position in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 518,964 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $49,810,000. Alibaba Group comprises about 1.3% of Pale Fire Capital SE’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Aureus Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Alibaba Group by 511.0% in the first quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 9,361 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 7,829 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 24.5% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 259,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,567,000 after acquiring an additional 51,000 shares in the last quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 584,028 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $85,607,000 after acquiring an additional 30,644 shares in the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in shares of Alibaba Group in the 4th quarter valued at $21,266,000. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alibaba Group during the 4th quarter valued at $1,622,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.47% of the company’s stock.

More Alibaba Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba’s AI strategy remains a potential long-term growth driver. However, the company is spending heavily on AI and competing aggressively in e-commerce, which could eventually strengthen its technology and cloud businesses. Alibaba stock holds under $120 as June quarter margin squeeze meets AI share sale
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Rosen, Robbins, Kaplan Fox, Bernstein Liebhard, Pomerantz and Hagens Berman, reminded investors of a securities class action covering purchases made from June 26, 2025, through June 24, 2026. The October 5, 2026 deadline concerns applications to serve as lead plaintiff; the announcements themselves do not establish liability. Rosen Alibaba class action deadline notice
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits allege that Alibaba and certain executives misled investors about risks involving artificial-intelligence model practices, regulatory or military-company classifications, and related disclosures. If the claims advance, Alibaba could face legal costs, potential damages and additional regulatory scrutiny. Levi and Korsinsky Alibaba class action allegations
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental pressure is amplifying the legal overhang: Alibaba’s latest reported EPS missed consensus, while profits and cash flow have reportedly fallen as the company funds AI expansion and a costly commerce battle. Margin compression and uncertain returns on AI spending are key reasons investors remain cautious. Alibaba earnings and AI investment analysis

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. HSBC set a $170.00 price objective on Alibaba Group in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Alibaba Group in a report on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Alibaba Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $188.70.

Alibaba Group Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE BABA opened at $111.79 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $115.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $125.47. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52-week low of $91.99 and a 52-week high of $192.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $267.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.07, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.51.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.94 by ($0.68). Alibaba Group had a net margin of 7.00% and a return on equity of 4.79%. The firm had revenue of $39.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $14.75 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Alibaba Group news, General Counsel Siying Yu sold 6,772 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.10, for a total value of $81,941.20. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 607,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,347,531.40. This trade represents a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Yongming Wu purchased 350,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.24 per share, for a total transaction of $4,984,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,364,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,429,312.32. The trade was a 34.50% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 920,303 shares of company stock valued at $70,796,370 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.50% of the company’s stock.

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.