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Investing.com - Benchmark maintained its Buy rating and $176.00 price target on Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) on Monday, suggesting nearly 50% upside from the current price of $118.60. The stock has already gained over 62% in the past year, according to InvestingPro data.
The research firm cited near-term margin pressure stemming from increased investments in Food Delivery and Instant Retail services, which prompted Benchmark to revise down its first-quarter fiscal 2026 and full-year 2026 earnings estimates.
Benchmark characterized Alibaba’s investment increase as initially defensive, aimed at countering JD’s market entry and early share gains in these segments.
Despite the near-term pressure, Benchmark identified potential strategic benefits, including a catalyst for Alibaba to reposition its core e-commerce strategy through a more integrated retail ecosystem approach, which could yield long-term growth benefits.
The firm emphasized that Alibaba’s financial strength provides flexibility to scale and adapt, with an impressive Altman Z-Score of 7.96 and "GREAT" overall financial health rating from InvestingPro. While its position as a leading GenAI and cloud infrastructure provider remains unchanged, leading Benchmark to view recent stock weakness as a buying opportunity, InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is currently undervalued. Get the complete financial picture with InvestingPro’s comprehensive research report, available for over 1,400 US stocks.
In other recent news, Alibaba has been the focus of several analyst firms following its latest financial updates. Susquehanna maintained a Positive rating on Alibaba, keeping its price target at $175, after the company’s fourth-quarter results showed stronger-than-expected profitability despite a slight revenue miss. Benchmark adjusted its price target for Alibaba to $176 from $190, citing strong growth in core commerce and cloud computing segments, although revenue fell short of expectations due to weaker performance in the AIDC division. Meanwhile, BofA Securities lowered its price target to $135, maintaining a Buy rating, and highlighted Alibaba’s significant investment in food and on-demand delivery services, which has seen orders double since May. Macquarie also reduced its price target to $139, noting pressure on e-commerce margins from a price war in the delivery market, but maintained an Outperform rating due to potential cost optimizations. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) decreased its price target to $150, citing investment costs in instant commerce, yet praised Alibaba as a leading AI enabler and kept an Overweight rating. These developments reflect a mix of optimism and caution among analysts, as Alibaba continues to invest heavily in its growth areas, particularly in AI and delivery services.
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