Erste Group Bank Lifts Earnings Estimates for Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank lifted their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Alibaba Group in a research report issued on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the specialty retailer will post earnings per share of $4.39 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $4.37. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Alibaba Group’s current full-year earnings is $7.86 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Alibaba Group’s FY2027 earnings at $6.63 EPS.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $40.71 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 9.12%.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on BABA. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research raised Alibaba Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Loop Capital set a $140.00 price target on Alibaba Group in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price target on Alibaba Group from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.89.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of BABA opened at $125.29 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $299.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.33. Alibaba Group has a one year low of $95.73 and a one year high of $192.67. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $142.11 and its 200-day moving average is $156.05.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 101.4% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 143 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. NBT Bank N A NY boosted its stake in Alibaba Group by 231.5% during the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 179 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in Alibaba Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors 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 and China Telecom launched a new AI data center powered by Alibaba’s self‑developed Zhenwu AI chips and a 10,000‑card computing cluster — a tangible step into high‑performance AI infrastructure that supports product differentiation and potential cloud/AI revenue upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management has created a CEO‑led technology committee and restructured AI executive responsibilities — governance and clearer accountability for AI strategy can accelerate execution and reassure investors about prioritization of capital and talent. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba confirmed March share issuances and that it meets Hong Kong Stock Exchange public‑float rules — reduces regulatory uncertainty and potential listing‑related overhang. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Alibaba is buying domestic AI chips (including orders tied to Huawei) and building its own chip stack — part of China’s push for semiconductor independence. Securing supply and reducing foreign dependency supports long‑term AI and cloud roadmap. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts maintain a generally constructive view (consensus “Moderate Buy”), which supports investor sentiment but leaves upside tied to execution on growth and margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces flag slowing e‑commerce momentum, weak customer‑management metrics (CMR) gains and plunging profits in Alibaba’s core retail business — these fundamental headwinds could limit multiple expansion and weigh on near‑term earnings. Article Title

Alibaba Group Company 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.