Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA)vsInternational Business Machines (IBM)
BABA
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
$129.87
+3.50%
CONSUMER CYCLICAL · Cap: $299.57B
IBM
International Business Machines
$241.39
+0.33%
TECHNOLOGY · Cap: $225.77B
Smart Verdict
WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd generates 1406% more annual revenue ($1.02T vs $67.53B). IBM leads profitability with a 15.7% profit margin vs 8.9%. BABA appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 1.56. IBM earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 70/100 (B-).
BABA
Hold49
out of 100
Grade: D+
IBM
Strong Buy70
out of 100
Grade: B-
Intrinsic Value Comparison
Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula
Margin of Safety
-298.4%
Fair Value
$38.22
Current Price
$129.87
$91.65 premium
Margin of Safety
+53.7%
Fair Value
$521.35
Current Price
$241.39
$279.96 discount
Key Strengths & Concerns
Side-by-side fundamental analysis
Key Strengths
Mega-cap, among the largest globally
Generating 36.0B in free cash flow
Reasonable price relative to book value
Mega-cap, among the largest globally
Every $100 of equity generates 35 in profit
Earnings expanding 89.9% YoY
Strong operational efficiency at 24.8%
Generating 3.1B in free cash flow
Areas to Watch
Expensive relative to growth rate
1.7% revenue growth
Earnings declined 70.9%
Expensive relative to growth rate
Weak financial health signals
Elevated debt levels
Comparative Analysis Report
WallStSmart ResearchBull Case : BABA
The strongest argument for BABA centers on Market Cap, Free Cash Flow, Price/Book.
Bull Case : IBM
The strongest argument for IBM centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, EPS Growth. Profitability is solid with margins at 15.7% and operating margin at 24.8%. Revenue growth of 12.2% demonstrates continued momentum.
Bear Case : BABA
The primary concerns for BABA are PEG Ratio, Revenue Growth, EPS Growth.
Bear Case : IBM
The primary concerns for IBM are PEG Ratio, Piotroski F-Score, Debt/Equity. Debt-to-equity of 2.06 is elevated, increasing financial risk.
Key Dynamics to Monitor
BABA profiles as a value stock while IBM is a mature play — different risk/reward profiles.
IBM carries more volatility with a beta of 0.71 — expect wider price swings.
IBM is growing revenue faster at 12.2% — sustainability is the question.
BABA generates stronger free cash flow (36.0B), providing more financial flexibility.
Bottom Line
IBM scores higher overall (70/100 vs 49/100), backed by strong 15.7% margins and 12.2% revenue growth. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Hold" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.
This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
CONSUMER CYCLICAL · INTERNET RETAIL · USA
Alibaba Group Holding Limited, also known as Alibaba Group and Alibaba.com, is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology. Founded on 28 June 1999 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the company provides consumer-to-consumer (C2C), business-to-consumer (B2C), and business-to-business (B2B) sales services via web portals, as well as electronic payment services, shopping search engines and cloud computing services. It owns and operates a diverse portfolio of companies around the world in numerous business sectors.
International Business Machines
TECHNOLOGY · INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES · USA
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries. The company began in 1911, founded in Endicott, New York, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and was renamed International Business Machines in 1924. IBM is incorporated in New York. IBM produces and sells computer hardware, middleware and software, and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM is also a major research organization, holding the record for most annual U.S. patents generated by a business (as of 2020) for 28 consecutive years. Inventions by IBM include the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the SQL programming language, the UPC barcode, and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The IBM mainframe, exemplified by the System/360, was the dominant computing platform during the 1960s and 1970s.
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