Alibaba Group HoldingBABATOP PICKOct 12, 2017Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jul 24, 2026. Market Open.
Looks great on the numbers -- growth rate, EPS, etc. Trouble is you don't know what's going to happen with the Chinese government. This is a known hazard. Even when you do everything right with your portfolio, you'll still be hit by the unexpected. As an investor, you need open markets and the rule of law.
E-commerce and cloud computing (the most nascent piece). E-commerce is under a lot of strain. AI large-language models are compelling in Chinese market, but that entire market is very competitive and ripe for disruptors. A trading stock over the next 2-3 years. Not a buy-and-hold. Tactically a buy today, but be very careful.
Like Amazon, they dominate key secular growth areas in e-commerce, are in cloud computer though trade at only one third of Amazon's PE. Is a modest grower, but has a huge margin of safety. There's so much pessimism about tariffs now. Wait and see, but would be an opportunity if the tariffs are more bark than bite.
World’s largest online mobile commerce company, measured by gross merchandise value. Given that they operate in China, is a big factor why he likes this. China has 560 million Internet users, spending 20 hours a week online, by far the largest internet market globally, double the size of the US market. They are well positioned to boost revenues related to particular content, entertainment and Cloud computing, which is about 5%-6% of their revenues. Cheaper than Amazon (AMZN-Q), trading at 31X earnings on a forward basis. Has a long-term growth rate of 25%, which is not an expensive measure when looking at a company like this. (Analysts’ price target is $200.)