We recently published a list of 10 Cheap Chinese 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 cheap Chinese stocks to buy now.
Chinese Market Outlook 2025
On February 12, Russell Investment released its Chinese market outlook for 2025. The investment firm noted that the outlook for China in 2025 is marked by several key factors, including the potential for new stimulus measures, advancements in artificial intelligence, and the impact of US tariffs on Chinese exports. Investors are closely watching whether the Chinese government will implement additional economic support measures, similar to those seen in 2024. This year, however, the landscape is complicated by the introduction of the DeepSeek AI model and the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese goods.
As per the report, the property sector remains a significant drag factor to China’s economy, with developers facing pressure and consumers cautious about purchasing property. Despite this, there are tentative signs of improvement in secondary home transactions, suggesting that supportive measures from 2024 may be starting to take effect. However, consumer confidence remains low, nearing the lows of the past four years. Moreover, the economy is also at risk of deflation, which could lead consumers to delay major purchases in anticipation of further price drops.
Russell Investment further noted that the National People’s Congress meeting in March will be crucial, as it will announce the economic growth target for the year and any new policy measures. If a growth target of around 4.5% is set, substantial stimulus measures may be required to achieve it. The United States has imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, which China has responded to by placing tariffs on $14 billion worth of US goods. These tariffs are expected to reduce China’s GDP growth by about 0.3 percentage points.
On the bright side, China has seen significant advancements in AI, with companies like DeepSeek achieving notable gains. However, the export embargo on major chip manufacturers by the US poses a challenge to further AI development in China. The focus is likely to shift towards efficiency improvements in AI capabilities. Russell Investments views the outlook for Chinese equities as marginally positive. This assessment is based on a cycle, valuation, and sentiment framework. Despite economic uncertainties, Chinese companies have improved their return on equity, and analysts expect about 9% earnings-per-share growth in 2025. Valuations for Chinese equities appear reasonable compared to other emerging markets, with forward multiples at around 10 times and a PEG ratio at the 15th percentile historically.
Our Methodology
To compile the list of 10 cheap Chinese stocks to buy now, we used the Finviz stock screener, Yahoo Finance, and Seeking Alpha. Using the screener we aggregated a list of stocks trading below the forward P/E of 15 and earnings growth expectations this year. Next, we cross-checked the Forward P/E from Seeking Alpha and Earnings growth from Yahoo Finance. Lastly, after sorting our list by market capitalization, we ranked the stocks in ascending order based on the number of hedge funds holding each stock, sourced from Insider Monkey’s Q4 database of hedge funds.
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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) the Cheap Chinese Stock to Buy Now?
An e-commerce platform displaying a wide range of products to customers online.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is the top cheap Chinese stock to buy now. It operates as an e-commerce giant and a technology infrastructure company. The company runs well-known platforms including Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress that enable businesses to sell products in China and internationally. On the other hand, AliExpress.com is a wholesale e-commerce marketplace that connects businesses with suppliers.
During the fiscal third quarter of 2025, the company highlighted its strategic focus on user first AI-driven approach. The management noted that they have been focused on two main areas: e-commerce and AI plus cloud computing. After a year of transformation, these businesses have shown accelerating growth momentum. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) has largely completed the divestment of its offline assets, resulting in strong business fundamentals and profit-generating capabilities across its businesses. Overall revenue of the company, excluding Alibaba consolidated subsidiaries, grew 11% year-over-year, with AI-related product revenue maintaining triple-digit growth for the sixth consecutive quarter.
On February 28, Arete upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral with a $164 price target. Moreover, Artisan Select Equity Fund in its Q4 2024 investor letter noted that the company’s valuation does not depict its true potential. Here’s what the fund said about the company:
“Alibaba Group Holding Limited’s (NYSE:BABA) share price decline was primarily giving back the gains from the prior quarter. Recall that all Chinese stocks surged last quarter after the Chinese government unveiled an unanticipated stimulus that temporarily captivated investors. The reality of the undersized stimulus and the challenges facing the Chinese economy eventually prevailed, leading Chinese equities—including Alibaba—to come back down to earth. Despite our concerns about China’s economic outlook, which we outlined in detail in last quarter’s letter, shares of Alibaba still represent significant value. The company is a leading player in several attractive market segments. We believe management is doing the right things, such as selling off businesses and returning capital to shareholders. It has made several changes to management and strategy that we expect will return the business to healthy growth over the coming year. In our opinion, the valuation is depressed and does not reflect a fair value for a company with these attributes.”
Overall, BABA ranks 1st on our list of cheap Chinese 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 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.
