We recently published a list of 10 Best Internet Retail Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) stands against other best internet retail stocks to buy now.
What’s Happening In The Internet Retail Sector?
According to a report published by FTI Consulting, the United States e-commerce is experiencing a revival after a period of stagnation post-COVID. After 18 months of slow growth, e-commerce sales began to pick up again in early 2023 as consumers resumed shopping habits that had been altered during the pandemic. The report notes that e-commerce sales growth represented 46% of total retail sales growth in 2023 and surged to 57% in the first quarter of 2024, marking its highest contribution since 2017, excluding pandemic spikes.
Consumers have adopted the trend of shopping online as despite the reopening of physical stores, many consumers continue to prefer online shopping. The report indicates that foot traffic in stores remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, with many Americans choosing to shop online rather than visit physical locations. This shift suggests a long-term change in consumer behavior, as evidenced by ongoing declines in in-store visits and increased e-commerce market share.
Talking about the pandemic era from 2020 to 2022 total retail sales in the United States (excluding auto and gas) increased by 31%, compared to only 12.2% from 2017 to 2019. The report suggests this translates to an additional $1.9 trillion in retail spending above pre-COVID norms. This increased spending benefited the e-commerce segment as it was able to capture 87% of the increase in total retail spending during the height of the pandemic lockdowns.
Looking forward, the United States’ e-commerce sales are projected to grow at a sustainable rate of high to mid-single digits annually. This is a significant slowdown from the mid-teens growth rates seen before COVID but still sufficient for continued market share gains against traditional retail channels.
Moreover, the report also highlighted that newcomers including Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop are entering the US e-commerce market. These newcomers are disrupting the established players through a strategy of becoming low-cost retailers. For instance, Temu achieved $14 billion in global gross merchandise value (GMV) sales in 2023 and is targeting $30 billion for 2024. On the other hand, Shein captured 40% of the fast fashion market domestically and had an estimated global GMV of $42 billion in 2023. Moreover, TikTok Shop was launched in 2023 and is aiming for $50 billion in global e-commerce sales by 2024.
The report suggests that while these platforms may attract budget-conscious consumers, they may not significantly threaten established e-commerce giant’s dominance due to perceived differences in product quality and brand positioning.
Looking ahead as per FTI Consulting the US online retail sales are expected to hit $1.2 trillion in 2024 translating to a 9.8% increase year-over-year. Moreover, the e-commerce market share is also expected to increase from 21.6% in 2023 to 22.7% by the end of the current year.
Moreover, some of the key trends identified by the reports are a sharp increase in the closing of physical retail stores due to increased labor costs, rents, and the feasibility of selling online. In addition to this, another key trend is the use of artificial intelligence among internet retailers, which helps engage with customers more closely and enables a personalized shopping experience.
We have also covered the 7 Best E-commerce Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“E-commerce is growing faster than expected and as new avenues of selling online open up, companies are bound to keep up with trends and innovative strategies. According to a report by Forbes, the e-commerce industry is expected to grow to a valuation of $7.9 trillion by 2027 from $6.3 trillion in 2024. In 2027, 23% of retail purchases are expected to be made online, up from 20.1% in 2024.
In the United States, low-income households, with a yearly income of $50,000 or less, happened to spend the most on online spending compared to other groups. On October 17, Reuters reported that retail sales in September increased, as gas prices fell, allowing consumers to spend elsewhere. Overall, the average consumer in the United States spent mostly on clothing, health and personal care stores, and miscellaneous items. Amid rising consumer confidence and spending, the Atlanta Fed raised its GDP estimates for Q3 to 3.4%, up from a previous guidance of 3.2%. Overall, retail sales grew by 0.4% last month.”
Our Methodology
To compile the list of 10 best internet retail stocks to buy now we used the Finviz stock screener. Using the screener, we shortlisted the internet retail stocks by their market capitalization. Next we used Insider Monkey’s Q2 2024 hedge funds database to rank the stocks by the number of hedge fund holders. Please note that the stocks are arranged in ascending order of the number of hedge funds.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
An e-commerce platform displaying a wide range of products to customers online.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is a leading Chinese multinational conglomerate primarily known for its operations in the internet retail industry. The company provides a wide range of technology infrastructure and marketing platforms that facilitate online commerce.
It operates through seven main segments, each catering to different aspects of e-commerce and technology. For instance, the China Commerce segment includes major platforms like Taobao, Tmall, and Freshippo, whereas the International Commerce segment includes platforms like AliExpress and Lazada, targeting international retail and wholesale markets. The company has operations in cloud computing as well where it offers various cloud services, including data storage and computing power, catering to businesses of all sizes.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited’s (NYSE:BABA) international digital commerce segment is leading the company in revenue. During its first quarter results for fiscal 2025 (June Quarter), the segment revenue increased 32% year-over-year to reach approximately $4.12 billion. The strong performance of the segment was led by cross-border business growth, particularly by Choice business on AliExpress. Choice Business is a hybrid e-commerce model introduced by AliExpress to enhance the shopping experience for consumers and streamline operations for merchants. During the quarter AliExpress and Trendyol platforms stepped up investments in initiatives to increase mindshare in select markets in Europe and the Gulf region.
The company is not only a pioneer when it comes to e-commerce but holds a 42% market share in the Chinese e-commerce industry, as per DBS Bank. It ranks 2nd on our list of best internet retail stocks to buy now and was held by 91 hedge funds in Q2 2024 as per Insider Monkey’s database.
Patient Capital Management stated the following regarding Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) experienced a massive rebound gaining +47% in the quarter following the announced stimulus program from the Chinese government. As the unexpectedly strong government support was announced, shorts were reversed and any name exposed to China was off to the races. We have long liked Alibaba as the company has continued to trade at a significant discount to its sum-of-the-parts valuation. With most investors writing off Chinese companies entirely, you had an opportunity to invest in a high-quality business at rock bottom prices. Over that time, the company initiated both a dividend (0.9% Yield) and buyback program, repurchasing 9% of shares outstanding over the last twelve months. Despite the strong move in the quarter, the company trades at just 12.4x next-year’s earnings. We see potential for continued multiple expansion as the Chinese economy rebounds and the country becomes investable again.”
Overall, BABA ranks 2nd on our list of best internet retail stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of BABA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a promising AI stock that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
