Alibaba stock overbought as spin-off prompts US$47 billion rally

IT TOOK just 10 days for a rally in Alibaba Group Holding to flip its shares from ice cold to red hot.

The Chinese Internet conglomerate’s plan to slash its empire into six units has so far added US$47 billion of market value, causing a key technical indicator to flash a sell signal – little more than a week after it showed the stock was oversold.

Alibaba’s 14-day relative-strength index has risen above 70, typically a signal that a rally has gone too far. Its US shares have jumped more than 20 per cent so far this week, extending gains on Thursday (Mar 30) after its logistics unit started preparations for a Hong Kong listing.

It is not the first time this year that Alibaba crossed above the overbought level. The relative-strength index started flashing a sell signal on Jan 4, and stayed above 70 for much of the month, before the stock pulled back.

Investors had pared bets in the e-commerce giant after results showed tepid sales and anaemic growth amid China’s economic reopening.

But the recent gains in Alibaba’s shares come as Wall Street digests spin-off plans that stand to unlock value in the company’s main divisions, from e-commerce and media to the cloud.

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Rival JD.com on Thursday announced plans to list two units in Hong Kong, which also drove a steep climb in shares. BLOOMBERG