What is Alibaba
Alibaba Group Holding Limited, or Alibaba, is a Chinese global technology corporation that specializes in e-commerce, retail, the Internet, and technology. The company, which was founded on June 28, 1999, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, offers web-based consumer-to-consumer (C2C), business-to-consumer (B2C), and business-to-business (B2B) sales services, as well as electronic payment systems, shopping search engines, and cloud computing services. It owns and operates a wide portfolio of businesses in a variety of industries around the world.
Alibaba is one of the largest e-commerce and retail enterprises in the world. It was also ranked as the fifth-largest artificial intelligence company in the world in 2020. It is also one of the world's largest venture capital firms and one of the world's largest investing businesses.
Alibaba operates the world's largest B2B (Alibaba.com), C2C (Taobao), and B2C (Tmall) marketplaces. It has been expanding into the media industry, with year-on-year revenue increases of three percentage points. It also broke the record on China's Singles' Day, the world's largest online and offline shopping day, in 2018.
Alibaba's first public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange raised US$25 billion on September 19, 2014, giving the business a market value of US$231 billion and making it the largest IPO in global history at the time. It is one of the top ten most valuable firms in the world, and the Forbes Global 2000 2020 list ranks it as the world's 31st largest public company.
After Tencent, Alibaba became the second Asian business to surpass the $500 billion valuation milestone in January 2018. Alibaba has the sixth-highest worldwide brand valuation as of 2020.
Alibaba is a publicly traded company, making its stock available to anyone of legal age interested in purchasing shares.
Why Buy Alibaba Shares (BABA)
Alibaba shares represent a unit of ownership in Alibaba Inc. – and they are considered to be amongst the most traded financial instruments around the globe.
Alibaba shares will rise and fall in value according to how well the company is performing at a given moment in time. Better-than-expected earnings will make Alibaba share prices rise, while weaker earnings will make share prices fall. However, there are many reasons why a company's share price can change.
People trade Alibaba shares because, just like other financial instruments, they can be an opportunity to invest money. At a basic level, you can take a position on Alibaba shares to get exposure to economic growth. If an economy is in good shape, you might find that companies operating in that specific economic branch or industry will grow too.
Company growth is correlated with share price increases, which is what people are hoping for when they buy Alibaba shares.
Alibaba Motors soared more than 40% in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on 26 August 2020.
The IPO, which is the third major listing in New York by Chinese EV companies in the past two years, comes as share prices of EV makers including Tesla Inc (Nasdaq: TSLA) and Nio Inc (Nasdaq: NIO) have surged in recent months.
Alibaba made its Hong Kong Stock Exchange debut on July 7, 2021. The decision to introduce the company to the exchange before a second listing may result in a higher position for the company in the city's stock indexes. Alibaba will be eligible for Stock Connect, an investment route that facilitates trade between Hong Kong and mainland China, as a dual-primary listing. With its Hong Kong listing, Alibaba became the first Chinese company to have a dual main listing in the United States. The action will also give some protection for the corporation if it is banned from the US market.
Alibaba stock is traded on the New York stock exchange under the BABA ticker.
If all that makes you want in on Alibaba’s ecommerce growth, here is everything you need to know to buy Alibaba stock & shares to invest in BABA.
How to Buy Alibaba Shares
Learning how to buy shares may not sound complicated, but you will need to do some research — and learn the basics — before making your first investment.
- Learn the difference between investing and trading
- Review Alibaba’s performance and outlook 2022
- Understand the risks and charges
- Access the trading platform and place your orders
- Stay up to date with the latest news and rumors about Alibaba
1. Learn the difference between investing and trading
People have two options to buy shares of stock online. Firstly, they can buy shares in companies on the exchanges where they are listed. For instance, you can buy Alibaba stock on the NASDAQ exchange, so you own a share in the company (investor). Alternatively, they can buy Alibaba shares without owning them, speculating on the price of the underlying asset (trader).
Investing and trading are similar terms that some people will sometimes use interchangeably – but there are significant differences for you to be aware of.
Investing in Alibaba Stock
Investors buy Alibaba shares hoping their price will rise and they can sell them later for a profit, adhering to the basic principle of buying low and selling high. Investors will take positions over a longer period, attempting to profit from share price changes as well as dividend payments.
While this means that they might need more initial capital to get started when compared to trading, their losses would be capped at this initial price tag. That said, investors should be aware they might get back fewer returns than they initially invested.
Investors will buy Alibaba shares to:
- Make a profit from the Alibaba share price rising
- Receive an income from dividends if the company pays them
- Benefit from the effects of compounding
This last point requires investors to hold onto their shares for an extended period. That’s why you’ll sometimes hear the phrase ”time in the markets is better than timing the markets” when talking about share investments.
>> Learn how to invest in stocks
Alibaba (or any single stock, for that matter) can be a very volatile investment. You can lower the risk by diversifying your investment holdings.
An index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500). An index mutual fund provides a broad market exposure, low operating expenses, and low portfolio turnover. These funds follow their benchmark index regardless of the state of the markets.
BABA currently makes 8% of Hang Seng index, meaning $0.08 of each dollar you invest in an HSCEI index fund goes to Alibaba. If you want an index with an even larger BABA representation, you might consider investing in a Hang Seng index fund, where BABA accounts for almost 10% of holdings.
Emerging markets exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide exposure to the performance of companies within the global eCommerce industry.
BABA makes up 13.87% of ADRE(Invesco BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index), 10.48% of FDNI (First Trust Dow Jones International Internet Index Fund), 8.73% of PGJ (Invesco Golden Dragon China ETF), 8.38% of EMQQ (Emerging Markets Internet & Ecommerce ETF), 7.66% of EWEB (Global X Emerging Markets Internet & E-commerce ETF).
>> Learn what ETFs are and how do they work
Trading Alibaba CFDs
On the other hand, traders might seek to capitalize on short-term share price gains. Rather than investing in the shares, traders speculate on the shares’ value. They can speculate on it rising by going long, as well as falling by going short.
Trading Alibaba stock means that you are speculating on a share’s price movements with derivatives like CFDs. In other words, you are purchasing Alibaba shares without taking direct ownership.
Leverage is available when you use this product, giving you full market exposure for an initial deposit – known as margin – to open your position.
For example, a trader who wanted to buy 100 Alibaba shares CFD at $150.00 per share would only require $3,000 of trading capital, thereby leaving the remaining $12,000 available for additional trades.
But keep in mind that leverage can increase both your profits and your losses as they will be based on the full exposure of the trade, not just the margin requirement needed to open it. This means losses, as well as profits, could far exceed your margin.
With CFDs, you can ‘buy’ (go long) the shares if you think the Alibaba stock’s price will rise, or you can ‘sell’ (go short) if you think the Alibaba stock’s price will fall.
>> Learn what is CFD trading and how it works
Going Long Alibaba CFD
Alibaba has a sell price of $140.00 and a buy price of $140.20.
Alibaba’s next earnings announcement is fast approaching, and you expect it to be good news.
You think the company’s share price will go up, so you buy 200 Alibaba CFDs at $140.20 This is the equivalent of buying 200 Alibaba shares.
Because in CFD trading you can use leverage, you do not need to put up the full value of Alibaba shares. Instead, you only need to cover the margin, which is calculated by multiplying your exposure with the margin factor for the market you are trading.
So, if Alibaba has a margin factor of 20%, your margin would be 20% of the total exposure of your trade (200 share CFDs x $140.20 = $28,040), which is $5,608.
If your prediction is correct:
When Alibaba announces its results, it is clear the company had a successful quarter and as you had predicted, its share price climbs.
You decide to close your position when it reaches $152.20, with a buy price of $152.40 and a selling price of $152.20
You reverse your trade to close a position, so you sell your 200 CFDs for $152.20
To calculate your profit, you multiply the difference between the closing price and the opening price of your position by its size. $152.20– $140.20 = $12.00, which you multiply by 200 CFDs to get a profit of $2,400.
If your prediction is wrong:
Alibaba’s results are worse than expected, and its share price immediately falls. You decide to cut your losses and sell your 200 CFDs at $136.00.
Your position has moved $4.2 against you, meaning you suffer a loss of $840.
Going Short Alibaba CFD
Shorting with derivatives can be an effective way to protect your investments against downward price movements in your non-leveraged investment portfolio. Also, it can be a way to generate profits outright from shares that are falling in value. But when you go short, your potential losses are theoretically uncapped because there is no limit on how high a company’s share price can rise.
Here is an example:
Suppose Alibaba shares are currently trading with a selling price of $140.00, and you think the price will go down. So, you decide to open a short CFD position on 100 Alibaba shares CFD. A week later, the buy price reaches $124.00, and you close your position. This means you made $1,800 in profit ([142.00 - 124.00] x 100 = $1,800), excluding additional costs.
If the price rises, you register a loss. For example, if Alibaba shares rose to a price of $145.30, you would suffer a $530 loss instead, excluding additional costs.
Most short-selling takes place on shares, but you can short-sell many other financial assets, including forex, cryptocurrencies, bonds, ETFs, commodities, and indices.
You can practice your trades on a demo account or open a live trading account if you are ready to take on the markets.
When you create a trading account with CAPEX, you will be able to:
- ‘Buy’ (go long) or ‘sell’ (go short) Alibaba and other 2,000 international shares to speculate on their price rising or falling
- Take a position on our range of ETFs to get exposure to a basket of shares from an entire country, index, or sector that could be rising or falling in price.
- Trade a host of global indices to go long or short on the performance of an entire economy with a single trade.
- Use QuantX, the smart portfolio builder that helps you cover the popular industries and only invest in the top-performing stocks.
2. Review Alibaba’s Performance and Outlook 2022
Before buying Alibaba stock—or any stock (see our guide on how to buy shares)—it’s wise to do some research into the company’s financials, performance, and outlook. The easiest place to get started is through a company’s annual reports and quarterly reports. Public companies like BABA are required to publicize detailed information about their financial health in these.
You can find these on Alibaba’s investor relations site or by searching the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) database.
You may also turn to experts for their input. Brokerage companies frequently release commentary on major stocks and industries, and third-party evaluators like Trading Central provide comprehensive technical and fundamental analysis.
When you combine financial data with expert insight, you will be able to decide how much of your money you want to put into Alibaba stock.
Alibaba Shares Forecast - Fundamental Outlook 2022
Before you load up the trunk with Alibaba shares, pop opens the hood and see what you are really getting into. Remember, when you buy Alibaba stock, you are purchasing a small portion of an actual business:
Alibaba is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology.
Alibaba's balance sheet, income statement, competition, and management (all explained in our guide on how to research stocks) will help you give the company a good once-over.
You can access research, analyst ratings, and other key information about Alibaba via your brokerage account or a financial information website. If you like what you see, your next step is to consider whether Alibaba fits into your current investment portfolio.
Alibaba's market capitalization is $335.664B
Profitability
- BABA's Return On Assets (ROA) of 7.21 percent is among the industry's finest. BABA outperforms 82 percent of its competitors in the industry. The average Return On Assets in the industry is -2.32 percent.
- The profit margin of BABA is 15.27 percent. This is one of the industry's finest returns. -1.94 percent is the industry average. BABA surpasses 91% of its counterparts in the industry.
Valuation
- When compared to the industry average of 29.86, BABA's Price/Earning Ratio is quite low. BABA is also less expensive than 86% of companies in the same industry.
- The low PEG Ratio, which accounts for growth in the Price/Earnings ratio, shows that the company is undervalued.
- BABA is priced right, with a Price/Earnings Ratio of 12.71.
- The Forward Price/Earnings Ratio of 12.14 implies that BABA is valued correctly.
- We can observe that the rate of growth is reducing when we compare the EPS growth rate over the last five years to the growth rate over the next five years.
Growth
- BABA has seen a very good growth in earnings per share over the last five years. The EPS has been increasing at a rate of 31.23 percent every year on average.
- BABA's revenue is increasing rapidly. Revenue has increased by 39.40 percent in the last year.
- BABA's revenue is increasing rapidly. Revenue has grown at a rate of 47.96 percent per year during the last five years.
- BABA's revenue is expected to expand significantly over the next five years, according to projections. On average, revenue will increase by 19.83 percent per year.
- In the previous year, BABA's earnings per share fell by -0.05 percent.
- BABA is expected to show a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the coming 5 years, the EPS will grow by 9.05% yearly.
- When we compare the revenue growth rate of the previous years to the revenue growth rate of the next five years, we can observe that the growth rate is slowing.
Health
- The Current Ratio of BABA is 3.87. This shows that BABA is financially sound and will be able to satisfy its short-term obligations without difficulty.
- BABA is in a stronger position than the industry average to satisfy its short-term obligations. Its Current ratio is significantly lower than the industry average of 2.04.
- With a Quick Ratio of 3.69, BABA has no problems meeting its short-term obligations.
- When compared to the average industry Quick Ratio of 1.73, BABA is better positioned to satisfy its short-term obligations than the average industry competitor.
- The Debt to Equity ratio for BABA is way better than the industry averages.
- When comparing BABA's Current Ratio to the industry average of 1.93, it becomes clear that BABA is less able to meet its short-term obligations than its rivals.
*Last update: December 2021. Source: Yahoo Finance
Alibaba Dividends
Alibaba has never declared or paid a cash dividend and does not intend to pay.
Alibaba Shares Forecast - Technical Outlook 2022
Technical traders analyze price charts to attempt to predict price movement. The two primary variables for technical analysis are the time frames considered and the technical indicators that a trader chooses to utilize.
To trade using the Alibaba price chart, you can use the tools available on a wide variety of trading platforms, such as our web-trading platform and mobile apps, Web Trader, and MetaTrader 5.
Our web-trading platform, for example, offers 6 chart types (including the famous Japanese candlestick chart) to help you analyze price performance across different timeframes. It also enables you to deal in an instant – directly from the charts. You will be able to open, close and edit positions in just a couple of clicks.
Trading charts always feature distinct patterns that technical analysts can use to interpret the behavior of buyers and sellers. These chart patterns can give traders an indication of where the market could go next. As you will notice when you look at a chart, the market will usually move in one overall direction or trend. There are three types of market trends: uptrends, downtrends, and sideways trends.
Alibaba stock has been in a downtrend since October 2020 and it is trading at the lowest level in the last 4 years.
The price chart shows a clear downside channel with the price testing the lower band of the channel. The technical indicators signals a bearish divergence and BABA stocks can consolidate between $110 and $130.
Speculators can use this level for short term trades within the channel, as the risk/reward ratio is favorable. Position traders will wait for a higher low, meaning here a weak countertrend after a rally above the $175 key resistance area.
To buy Alibaba shares or not?
It is recommended to watch for stocks in the major long-term support area. We should buy Alibaba shares at relatively cheap prices (compared to historical values), not expensive prices. Also, have an exit plan for how you will exit a profitable trade. Define how and why you will exit. Since we used to support to get into the trade, you may consider exiting just below a long-term resistance level.
If buying at support, and planning to exit just below resistance, the upside potential should outweigh the downside risk by at least 2:1 or even 3:1. That means that if you buy Alibaba shares at $120, you should be reasonably able to get out of the stock at $95 or higher. In an absolute worst case you lose $25 a share, but based on the historical chart it is quite feasible to go up to $50/share or more. This is known as the risk/reward ratio, a key indicator when deciding to buy Alibaba shares or not.
With CAPEX WebTrader, you can perform an in-depth analysis of the charts with 90 indicators (including moving average, MACD, RSI, and Bollinger Bands). The platform also supports an interactive trading activity with high-end research tools helping you interpret market data.
Analyst consensus - BUY
BABA was analyzed by 57 analysts. The buy percentage consensus is at 81. So analysts seem to be very confident about BABA.
- 26% Strong Buy (15)
- 60% Buy (34)
- 10% Hold (6)
- 0% Sell (0)
- 3% Strong Sell (2)
The price target on Alibaba - $214.06
Analysts have set a mean price target of 214.06. This target is 77.82% above the current price.
source: TipRanks
3. Understand the risks and charges
Trading can be seen as riskier than investing due to leverage. But investing also carries a risk – and there is no guarantee that your investments would increase in value, so you could receive back less than you initially invested.
Before deciding to trade in shares, you should take steps to manage your risk. We have courses at CAPEX Academy that take you through risk management and how to mitigate your exposure to risk in the financial markets.
>> Learn more at CAPEX Academy
Our costs and charges for trading vary depending on the product that you use to take a position.
Alibaba (BABA) CFD Trading Conditions
SPREAD PER UNIT | 0.25 pips | LEVERAGE | 1:5 |
OVERNIGHT ROLLOVER - LONG | -0.0076 % | OVERNIGHT ROLLOVER - SHORT | -0.0063 % |
INITIAL MARGIN | 20.0000 % | MAINTENANCE MARGIN | 10.0000 % |
- Spread represents the difference between ASK price and BID price.
- Future Rollover adjustment consists of the difference in price between expiring contract and new contract as well as the spread of the CFD.
- Swap is the amount credited to or debited from an account where positions are held overnight.
- Inactivity fee represents the monthly amount deducted if no activity is recorded for 12 months in an account.
For further information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions and Charge and Fees.
4. Access the trading platform and place your orders
To buy Alibaba shares CFD with CAPEX Webtrader is very easy and intuitive. Opening an online trading account is as easy as setting up a bank account. Here are the steps:
Open an account or log in
First, create an account or log in on capex.com. To open an account, click the "Register" button and complete your details.
Once the platform is accessed, the registration process must be completed in order to operate with real money. Click "Complete the Registration and Start Trading".
To log in, from the CAPEX website, click on "Login".
Deposit funds into your account
To trade with a live account, it is necessary to deposit funds. This is done from the platform itself by clicking on the "Add funds" button:
Also, it is possible to trade on a risk-free demo account with a balance of € 50,000, which is ideal for getting to know the platform and testing trading strategies.
CAPEX offers you different payment methods: debit cards, credit cards, bank transfer, skrill, and more.
It is noteworthy that CAPEX does not charge any fees or commissions for depositing funds.
Look for Alibaba shares
To view Alibaba shares (BABA) real-time price and chart on the trading platform can click on the "Search" icon located in the left panel or by clicking on "Shares" and then select the instrument, in this case, Alibaba.
Use the indicators and drawings to analyze the chart
Click the indicators icon and select your favorite ones. There are trend-following, oscillators, volatility, and support/resistance indicators available. To learn how many indicators to use and how to combine then visit the Technical Indicators section in CAPEX Academy.
Set up the order to buy Alibaba shares
To buy Alibaba shares CFD, click on the "Buy" button and a window is displayed to configure the purchase order:
The number of Alibaba shares to be purchased must be entered and it is allowed to set up a Stop Loss to limit the potential loss, and/or a Take Profit to close a profitable position once the Alibaba stock reaches a specific price. These orders can be configured based on price, pips, cash value, or percentage.
To proceed with the purchase, click on "Place Order".
However, BABA trading does not end here. You will want to check out the next step to make sure you are investing your money as well as you can.
Why Trade Alibaba with CAPEX?
- Advanced AI technology at its core: Whether they prefer the web-based and mobile-ready WebTrader or favor the highly popular MetaTrader 5, we make sure investors make effective use of fast and reliable trade execution speeds, complex order and risk management tools, advanced charting options, powerful research tools in collaboration with highly-regarded platforms such as Trading Central or TipRanks.
- Trading on margin: Providing trading on margin (up to 5:1 for individual equities), CAPEX gives you access to the stock market with the help of CFDs.
- Trading the difference: When trading Alibaba CFD, you do not buy the underlying asset itself, meaning you are not tied to it. You only speculate on the rise or fall of the Alibaba stock price. Online trading with CFDs is nothing different from traditional trading in terms of strategies. A CFD investor can go short or long, set stop loss, take profit, and apply trading scenarios aligned with their objectives.
- All-round trading analysis: The browser-based platform allows traders to shape their market analysis and forecasts with sleek technical indicators. CAPEX provides live market updates and various chart formats, available on desktop, iOS, and Android.
- Focus on safety: capex.com is operated by Key Way Investments Ltd and is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) (license no. 292/16).
- Global partnerships: CAPEX is proud to be the Proud Sponsor of Juventus, one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world, a football club that has a special place in the hearts of the people of Italy, with a strong legacy and a dedicated community.
5. Stay up to date with the latest news and rumors about Alibaba (BABA)
Get the latest Alibaba Inc. (BABA) stock news and headlines to help you in your trading and investing decisions.
History of Alibaba
In his Hangzhou residence on June 28, 1999, Jack Ma launched Alibaba.com, a China-based B2B marketplace site, with 17 friends and students. Alibaba received a US$25 million investment from Goldman Sachs and SoftBank in October 1999. Alibaba.com was intended to strengthen the domestic e-commerce market and perfect an e-commerce platform for Chinese firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in order to assist in the export of Chinese products to the global market and to meet WTO difficulties. Alibaba.com became profitable three years after its establishment in 2002. Alibaba launched Taobao Marketplace, Alipay, Alimama.com, and Lynx in 2003 in order to improve the global e-commerce system.
Ma viewed eBay as a foreign competitor when the American company launched its expansion into China in 2003, and he rejected eBay's offer to buy Alibaba's subsidiary Taobao. Alibaba's subsidiaries surpassed eBay in the Chinese e-commerce market, claiming an increasing number of consumers from eBay, by leveraging existing technology and earning trust in the market, as well as expanding by dominating the market at a loss before making a return on additional services. Alibaba's Taobao would eventually pull eBay out of the Chinese market, forcing eBay to close its underperforming China Web unit, but the two companies would eventually break even six years later.
Yahoo purchased a 40% stake in Alibaba under a variable interest entity (VIE) structure in 2005, for a total investment of $1 billion. As a result, Yahoo would profit $10 billion from Alibaba's IPO alone!
Alibaba, along with Coatue Management and Andreessen Horowitz, led a US$250 million Series D investment round in Lyft in April 2014. Alibaba purchased a 50% share in Guangzhou Evergrande F.C. from Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd. for 1.2 billion yuan (US$192 million) on June 5, 2014. In a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on September 5, 2014, Alibaba set a price range of US$60 to $66 per share for its planned initial public offering (IPO), with the final price to be determined after an international roadshow to gauge investor interest in Alibaba shares to shareholders. Alibaba's initial public offering (IPO) was priced at US$68 on September 18, 2014, raising US$21.8 billion for the business and investors.
Alibaba was the largest initial public offering (IPO) in US history, surpassing Google, Facebook, and Twitter combined. Alibaba's shares (BABA) debuted on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on September 19, 2014, with an opening price of $92.70 at 11:55 a.m. EST. Alibaba's underwriters confirmed on September 22, 2014 that they had exercised a greenshoe option to sell 15% more shares than originally planned, bringing the total amount raised in the IPO to $25 billion.
Alibaba and the International Olympic Committee announced a $800 million sponsorship arrangement in January 2017 that would extend through 2028. Jack Ma, Alibaba's principal creator, stated in September 2018 that he would stand aside as chairman in a year to focus on philanthropy.
China began an antitrust inquiry into Alibaba Group regulators on December 24, 2020, as part of a crackdown on anti-competitive activity in China's growing Internet space. Following Chinese regulators' antitrust inquiry into Alibaba Group, the company's shares saw a historic stock price drop in December 2020, with the lowest close in about 6 months. Alibaba lost nearly all of its stock-market gains in 2020, from $859 billion to $586 billion, by the end of December.
*Last Update: December 2021. Source: Wikipedia