We recently published a list of 8 Best Machine Learning Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) stands against other best machine learning stocks to buy according to hedge funds.
Earlier this month, the president of Potomac Wealth Advisors, Mark Avallone, discussed the tech sector’s investment potential. We talked about his sentiment in more detail in one of our other articles, 12 Best NASDAQ Stocks To Buy in 2025. Here’s an excerpt from it:
“He noted that market rates have surged to all-time highs, with a significant increase of 1,800 points since October 2023. Avallone emphasizes that tech stocks, particularly cash-flowing mega-cap and large-cap companies, have shown resilience against rising rates, attributing this to improved operational efficiencies and ongoing technology spending even in a slowing economy.”
Just like Avallone, several analysts hold a positive outlook for tech stocks as we go into 2025. Daniel Ives, Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities, thinks that the AI revolution is driving this strength in tech. On January 13, he appeared on CNBC and discussed the tech sector in light of rising interest rates and a strengthening dollar. He noted that the 10-year Treasury yield is currently at 4.75%, which is exerting pressure on tech stocks. Despite this, Ives expressed optimism about the sector’s potential for growth and suggested that the current environment presents opportunities to invest in leading companies. He emphasized that capital expenditures are robust on the consumer side and indicate stronger-than-expected earnings ahead. Ives believes that we are only halfway through the bull market, which he views as a positive sign for tech stocks moving forward.
Ives discussed Palantir Technologies, which has faced selling pressure despite being a top S&P 500 performer last year. He warned that overlooking it due to high valuation could mean missing key market opportunities, similar to Oracle and Salesforce, especially with $2 trillion in expected AI capital expenditures. Ives also highlighted the impact of a rising dollar on tech, particularly Apple’s vulnerability, while remaining bullish on the sector. He emphasized the need for diversification, citing Microsoft and NVIDIA as indicators for AI growth.
His optimism about the tech sector highlights opportunities as investors navigate this landscape.
Methodology
We first sifted through ETFs, online rankings, and internet lists to compile a list of the top ML stocks. We then selected the 8 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? 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: 115
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is a Chinese tech giant that runs a vast e-commerce empire. This includes marketplaces like Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress. It also offers cloud computing, logistics, and digital media services.
In FQ2 2025, the company’s revenue rose 7% year-over-year, driven by double-digit growth in public cloud services. Notably, AI-related product revenue maintained its impressive triple-digit growth for the fifth consecutive quarter, which solidified its position as a key growth engine for Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba Cloud is driving significant AI growth in Asia. The success is evident in collaborations with companies like Japan’s Lightblue, Malaysia’s Pictureworks, Singapore’s Atlas, and China’s Drunk Elephant. They demonstrate the applications of Alibaba Cloud’s AI technologies across various industries.
In December 2024, Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence stated the following:
“We are thrilled to witness our robust cloud infrastructure and AI offerings empowering organizations across a diverse range of industries to further drive transformation in 2024 with our partners together. As the leading cloud service provider in Asia, we remain committed to helping our customers enhance their operations and deepen their connections with consumers, while collaborating with our ecosystem partners to unlock the full potential of AI and cloud technologies for businesses of all sizes.”
This shows Alibaba Group Holding’s (NYSE:BABA) commitment to using AI to drive its growth through strategic innovations.
Overall, BABA ranks 6th on our list of best machine learning stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the growth potential of BABA, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BABA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
