Here’s Why Alibaba Group (BABA) is on the Contributors List of Polen International Growth

Core Insights - Polen Capital's "Polen International Growth Strategy" experienced flat returns in 2025, contrasting with the highest returns in foreign equity markets in over a decade, attributed to market preference for cyclically sensitive businesses [1] - The strategy reported a Q4 return of -2.21% (gross) and -2.52% (net), while the MSCI ACWI (ex-USA) returned 5.05% [1] - For the full year 2025, the strategy returned 0.68% (gross) and -0.52% (net), compared to a 32.39% return for the index [1] Company Performance - Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) faced a one-month return of -12.33% and a 52-week decline of 4.63%, with a market capitalization of $326.049 billion [2] - In Q4 2025, Alibaba's shares declined by -19%, primarily due to profitability pressures in its core e-commerce business from heavy investments to compete with Meituan in food and grocery delivery [3] Hedge Fund Interest - Alibaba Group Holding Limited ranked 30th among the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds heading into 2026, with 115 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q4, down from 130 in the previous quarter [4] - Despite recognizing Alibaba's potential, the company believes certain AI stocks present greater upside potential and lower downside risk [4]