BA vs. BABA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 30, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BA and BABA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

BA is a standard domestic listing, while BABA trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.

Symbol	BA	BABA
Company Name	The Boeing Company	Alibaba Group Holding Limited
Country	United States	Hong Kong
GICS Sector	Industrials	Consumer Discretionary
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Broadline Retail
Market Capitalization	178.17 billion USD	291.42 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	September 19, 2014
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BA and BABA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

BA vs. BABA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BA	BABA
5-Day Price Return	4.97%	3.51%
13-Week Price Return	17.21%	2.27%
26-Week Price Return	33.01%	-14.97%
52-Week Price Return	35.82%	49.50%
Month-to-Date Return	6.21%	1.33%
Year-to-Date Return	33.12%	44.16%
10-Day Avg. Volume	6.58M	10.75M
3-Month Avg. Volume	7.99M	13.34M
3-Month Volatility	28.39%	34.76%
Beta	1.51	0.11

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BA

2,402.16%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 43.89%
Q3: 22.42%
Median: 12.50%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: -6.24%

BA’s Return on Equity of 2,402.16% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

BABA

13.27%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 49.17%
Q3: 28.98%
Median: 19.22%
Q1: 10.86%
Min: -11.14%

BABA’s Return on Equity of 13.27% is on par with the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BA

-14.18%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 14.54%
Q3: 8.08%
Median: 6.17%
Q1: 2.49%
Min: -1.63%

BA has a negative Net Profit Margin of -14.18%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

BABA

12.99%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 19.78%
Q3: 11.90%
Median: 8.63%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: 0.82%

A Net Profit Margin of 12.99% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BA

-12.27%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.63%
Q3: 10.38%
Median: 8.29%
Q1: 6.21%
Min: 0.95%

BA has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -12.27%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

BABA

14.14%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 27.23%
Q3: 15.96%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 8.31%
Min: 1.77%

BABA’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.14% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BA	BABA
Return on Equity (TTM)	2,402.16%	13.27%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-7.06%	7.19%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-14.18%	12.99%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-12.27%	14.14%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	-0.32%	39.95%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BA

1.23

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 3.09
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.02

BA’s Current Ratio of 1.23 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

BABA

1.55

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 3.54
Q3: 2.42
Median: 1.49
Q1: 1.22
Min: 0.67

BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BA

117.95

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.70
Q3: 1.04
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 117.95, BA operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Aerospace & Defense industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

BABA

0.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 1.34
Median: 0.63
Q1: 0.27
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, BABA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.23 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BA

-3.60

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 36.57
Q3: 19.90
Median: 7.04
Q1: 2.40
Min: -7.63

BA has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -3.60. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

BABA

9.56

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 20.63
Median: 11.28
Q1: 4.22
Min: -19.29

BABA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.56 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BA	BABA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.23	1.55
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.38	1.08
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	117.95	0.23
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-3.60	9.56

Growth

Revenue Growth

BA vs. BABA: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BA vs. BABA: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BA

0.09%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 2.03%
Q3: 1.22%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BA’s Dividend Yield of 0.09% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

BABA

2.79%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.46%
Q3: 2.38%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.79%, BABA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Broadline Retail industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BA

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 83.87%
Q3: 49.90%
Median: 16.48%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

BABA

103.01%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 131.17%
Q3: 63.48%
Median: 29.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BABA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 103.01% is in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BA	BABA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.09%	2.79%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	103.01%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BA

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 65.97
Q3: 54.11
Median: 34.53
Q1: 23.66
Min: 0.00

P/E Ratio data for BA is currently unavailable.

BABA

16.04

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 66.12
Q3: 35.17
Median: 16.29
Q1: 10.47
Min: 5.94

BABA’s P/E Ratio of 16.04 is within the middle range for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BA

2.26

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 8.07
Q3: 4.49
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.00

BA’s P/S Ratio of 2.26 aligns with the market consensus for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

BABA

2.08

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.40
Q3: 3.33
Median: 2.04
Q1: 0.80
Min: 0.16

BABA’s P/S Ratio of 2.08 aligns with the market consensus for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BA

1,764.78

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 13.67
Q3: 7.92
Median: 4.65
Q1: 2.68
Min: 0.82

At 1,764.78, BA’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

BABA

2.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 9.06
Q3: 5.22
Median: 3.48
Q1: 1.90
Min: 0.74

BABA’s P/B Ratio of 2.23 is within the conventional range for the Broadline Retail industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

BA vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BA	BABA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	--	16.04
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	2.26	2.08
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1,764.78	2.23
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	30.83	26.78