SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Sales fell for the first time ever at China's blowout mid-year e-commerce sales festival as consumers remain cautious about spending as the economy sputters, according to third-party data estimates released on Wednesday. Combined gross merchandise volume (GMV), a widely used proxy for e-commerce sales, reached 742.8 billion yuan ($102.36 billion) across China's major online platforms during the so called "618" shopping event, 7% lower than the same period last year, digital retail data provider Syntun said. This year the shopping festival failed to stir up much excitement among shoppers, industry experts said, even as major platforms extended offers to a weeks-long period to woo consumers who have been tightening their belts amid a gloomy economic outlook.
Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) and HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC), as well a micro-cap stock PrimeEnergy Resources Corp. (PNRG).
The average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for Alibaba (BABA) is equivalent to a Buy. The overly optimistic recommendations of Wall Street analysts make the effectiveness of this highly sought-after metric questionable. So, is it worth buying the stock?