On Thursday, Citi reaffirmed its Buy rating and $133.00 stock price target for Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), following the company's announcement of a significant restructuring of its e-commerce operations. The new Ecommerce Business Group will consolidate various commerce-related platforms, including Taobao Tmall Group, International Digital Commerce Group, 1688, Xianyu, and others.
Citi's analyst highlighted the potential benefits of this strategic move, noting it could enhance the supply chain and support suppliers in reaching both domestic and overseas consumers more effectively. Moreover, the integration is expected to result in operational efficiencies and cost optimization that could improve Alibaba's profitability over the medium to long term.
The analyst anticipates that the restructuring will foster synergies between the Taobao Tmall Group and the International Digital Commerce Group, which will allow Alibaba to concentrate on its objectives of serving consumers and suppliers or merchants. This focus is likely to lead to more efficient operations and, consequently, better financial performance.
Although there will be no immediate changes to how Alibaba reports its segments, the analyst believes that it may take some time for the integration's effects to be reflected in the company's financial results. The announcement is seen as a positive development that could lead to improvements in both operational and financial performance, supporting the decision to maintain a Buy rating on the stock.
In other recent news, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has reported a 5% year-over-year increase in consolidated revenue during its Q3 2024 earnings call, amounting to RMB 236.5 billion. Despite a substantial 70% decrease in free cash flow due to investments in cloud infrastructure, the company maintains a positive outlook on its AI-driven strategy and future growth prospects.
The company also announced the formation of a new e-commerce business group to consolidate its operations and improve efficiency. In the realm of analyst ratings, Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) maintained its Outperform rating on Alibaba, highlighting positive indicators such as double-digit order growth and increased purchase frequency.
Benchmark reaffirmed its Buy rating, acknowledging Alibaba's strategic moves, while Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) adjusted Alibaba's financial outlook, reducing the price target due to anticipated market share loss. Susquehanna sustained a positive stance on Alibaba, citing the company's strong position within the Chinese e-commerce market and its significant growth potential. These are among the recent developments concerning Alibaba.
InvestingPro Insights
Alibaba's recent restructuring aligns with its financial metrics and market position, as revealed by InvestingPro data. The company's market cap stands at $197.4 billion, reflecting its significant presence in the e-commerce sector. With a P/E ratio of 18.21 and an adjusted P/E ratio of 12.62 for the last twelve months as of Q2 2025, Alibaba appears to be reasonably valued, especially considering its growth potential.
The company's revenue growth of 5.14% over the last twelve months and 5.21% in Q2 2025 supports Citi's optimistic outlook on the restructuring's potential to enhance operational efficiencies. Alibaba's strong gross profit margin of 38.2% and operating income margin of 13.71% suggest that the company has room to improve profitability through the integration of its e-commerce operations.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Alibaba's stock price is significantly below the InvestingPro Fair Value of $141.21, indicating potential upside. Additionally, analysts have set a mean target price of $119.49, further supporting Citi's bullish stance.
For investors seeking a deeper understanding of Alibaba's potential, InvestingPro offers 19 additional tips that could provide valuable insights into the company's future performance following this strategic restructuring.
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