BABA vs. UBER: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at BABA and UBER, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
BABA trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, UBER is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Alibaba Group Holding Limited | Uber Technologies, Inc. |
| Country | Hong Kong | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Broadline Retail | Ground Transportation |
| Market Capitalization | 436.04 billion USD | 201.45 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 19, 2014 | May 10, 2019 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of BABA and UBER 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 4.52% | -2.98% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 72.98% | 3.17% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 42.20% | 32.58% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 63.15% | 32.56% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 5.20% | -1.40% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 121.76% | 60.15% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 21.92M | 15.54M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 16.69M | 18.92M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 49.21% | 27.87% |
| Beta | 0.31 | 1.20 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
BABA
14.91%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 47.53%
- Q3
- 31.20%
- Median
- 16.63%
- Q1
- 10.81%
- Min
- -7.57%
BABA’s Return on Equity of 14.91% is on par with the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
UBER
62.42%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 23.35%
- Q3
- 13.74%
- Median
- 9.05%
- Q1
- 6.86%
- Min
- 1.73%
UBER’s Return on Equity of 62.42% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Ground Transportation industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
BABA
14.82%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 24.63%
- Q3
- 12.77%
- Median
- 8.63%
- Q1
- 4.50%
- Min
- -1.62%
A Net Profit Margin of 14.82% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
UBER
26.68%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 32.19%
- Q3
- 17.08%
- Median
- 7.19%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- -5.54%
A Net Profit Margin of 26.68% places UBER in the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
BABA
13.98%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 27.48%
- Q3
- 17.60%
- Median
- 10.82%
- Q1
- 7.76%
- Min
- -6.73%
BABA’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.98% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
UBER
9.03%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 42.90%
- Q3
- 23.80%
- Median
- 10.93%
- Q1
- 7.06%
- Min
- -12.94%
UBER’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.03% is around the midpoint for the Ground Transportation industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 14.91% | 62.42% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.16% | 24.38% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.82% | 26.68% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.98% | 9.03% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 41.18% | 33.93% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
BABA
1.45
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 3.54
- Q3
- 2.42
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.69
BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.45 aligns with the median group of the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
UBER
1.11
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.31
- Median
- 0.98
- Q1
- 0.74
- Min
- 0.35
UBER’s Current Ratio of 1.11 aligns with the median group of the Ground Transportation industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
BABA
0.23
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.01
- Q3
- 1.31
- Median
- 0.72
- Q1
- 0.32
- 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.
UBER
0.42
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 2.51
- Q3
- 1.48
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.48
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Ground Transportation industry, UBER’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.42 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
BABA
9.56
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 37.34
- Q3
- 21.16
- Median
- 8.60
- Q1
- 3.22
- 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.
UBER
-0.24
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 59.80
- Q3
- 25.78
- Median
- 8.23
- Q1
- 2.52
- Min
- -24.57
UBER has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -0.24. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.45 | 1.11 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.97 | 0.97 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.23 | 0.42 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 9.56 | -0.24 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
BABA
1.81%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 4.06%
- Q3
- 2.07%
- Median
- 0.37%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BABA’s Dividend Yield of 1.81% is consistent with its peers in the Broadline Retail industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
UBER
0.00%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 5.29%
- Q3
- 2.57%
- Median
- 1.59%
- Q1
- 0.71%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
BABA
103.01%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 114.82%
- Q3
- 62.39%
- Median
- 28.55%
- 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.
UBER
0.00%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 149.12%
- Q3
- 75.08%
- Median
- 41.35%
- Q1
- 16.42%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.81% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 103.01% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
BABA
21.53
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 62.76
- Q3
- 32.50
- Median
- 17.65
- Q1
- 12.08
- Min
- 6.87
BABA’s P/E Ratio of 21.53 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.
UBER
15.98
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 39.04
- Q3
- 24.45
- Median
- 17.51
- Q1
- 12.92
- Min
- 5.87
UBER’s P/E Ratio of 15.98 is within the middle range for the Ground Transportation industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
BABA
3.19
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.19
- Q3
- 3.25
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.21
BABA’s P/S Ratio of 3.19 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.
UBER
4.26
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 2.82
- Q3
- 2.22
- Median
- 1.41
- Q1
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.24
With a P/S Ratio of 4.26, UBER trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Ground Transportation industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
BABA
1.90
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 8.81
- Q3
- 5.19
- Median
- 3.42
- Q1
- 1.75
- Min
- 0.73
BABA’s P/B Ratio of 1.90 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.
UBER
8.63
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 5.27
- Q3
- 3.03
- Median
- 1.40
- Q1
- 1.18
- Min
- 0.67
At 8.63, UBER’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Ground Transportation 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | BABA | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 21.53 | 15.98 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.19 | 4.26 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.90 | 8.63 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 41.19 | 23.63 |