BABA vs. URBN: Alibaba vs. Urban Outfitters Stock Comparison

September 7, 2026

How do Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN) both fall under the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group, but BABA is classified in Broadline Retail while URBN is classified in Specialty Retail.

Alibaba (BABA) is a mega-cap company at 281.47 billion USD, while Urban Outfitters (URBN) is mid-cap at 6.94 billion USD — a noticeably different scale category that can shape how their valuation multiples are read.

Urban Outfitters (URBN) trades as ordinary local shares, while Alibaba (BABA) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Profile Item	BABA	URBN
Name	Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. ADR	Urban Outfitters Inc.
Country/Region	China	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Consumer Discretionary
GICS Industry Group	Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail	Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail
GICS Industry	Broadline Retail	Specialty Retail
GICS Sub-Industry	Broadline Retail	Apparel Retail
Market Capitalization	281.47 billion USD	6.94 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	September 19, 2014	November 9, 1993
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BABA

URBN

GSPC

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Total Return (1Y)	-12.71%	13.48%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	8.19%	34.63%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-6.71%	20.25%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BABA

URBN

GSPC

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	43.82%	43.47%
Beta (5Y)	0.47	1.23
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-64.46%	-52.22%
Avg. Volume (3M)	12.48M	1.16M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

BABA and URBN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.38	0.22
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.60	0.34

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 6.36% and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 20.94% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

6.36%

Max: 63.82%
Q3: 32.42%
Median: 14.20%
BABA: 6.36%
Q1: 5.73%
Min: -27.22%

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

20.94%

Max: 63.82%
Q3: 32.42%
URBN: 20.94%
Median: 14.20%
Q1: 5.73%
Min: -27.22%

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their ROE against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 7.04% and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 8.79% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

7.04%

Max: 20.45%
Q3: 9.06%
BABA: 7.04%
Median: 3.37%
Q1: 0.86%
Min: -10.82%

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

8.79%

Max: 20.45%
Q3: 9.06%
URBN: 8.79%
Median: 3.37%
Q1: 0.86%
Min: -10.82%

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their net margin against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 11.62% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Alibaba (BABA) at 7.30%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

7.30%

Max: 24.71%
Q3: 11.23%
BABA: 7.30%
Median: 5.44%
Q1: 2.16%
Min: -7.86%

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

11.62%

Max: 24.71%
URBN: 11.62%
Q3: 11.23%
Median: 5.44%
Q1: 2.16%
Min: -7.86%

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
ROE (TTM)	6.36%	20.94%
ROA (TTM)	1.56%	8.11%
Net Margin (TTM)	7.04%	8.79%
Operating Margin (TTM)	7.30%	11.62%
Gross Margin (TTM)	38.20%	36.03%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 2.74% and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 11.07% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 18.78% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Alibaba (BABA) at -17.91% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for URBN.

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	2.74%	11.07%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	5.62%	8.74%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-17.91%	18.78%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	17.05%	43.85%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 1.36 and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 1.58 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.36

Max: 3.13
Q3: 1.88
Median: 1.41
BABA: 1.36
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.49

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.58

Max: 3.13
Q3: 1.88
URBN: 1.58
Median: 1.41
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.49

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 0.24 and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 0.43 keep leverage in the lower quartile of their industries, with less balance-sheet debt relative to equity than most peers.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.24

Max: 3.39
Q3: 1.76
Median: 1.08
Q1: 0.66
BABA: 0.24
Min: 0.01

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.43

Max: 3.39
Q3: 1.76
Median: 1.08
Q1: 0.66
URBN: 0.43
Min: 0.01

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.36	1.58
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.24	0.43
Net Debt / EBITDA	-1.20	0.64

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Urban Outfitters (URBN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Alibaba (BABA) reports a yield of 6.48%, ranking against industry peers normally.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

6.48%

BABA: 6.48%
Max: 4.87%
Q3: 2.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 4.87%
Q3: 2.44%
URBN: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Urban Outfitters (URBN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Alibaba (BABA) reports a payout of 24.04%, ranking against industry peers normally.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

24.04%

Max: 67.85%
Q3: 31.80%
BABA: 24.04%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 67.85%
Q3: 31.80%
URBN: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	6.48%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	24.04%	0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Alibaba (BABA) at 25.62 and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 12.67 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

25.62

Max: 43.60
Q3: 25.79
BABA: 25.62
Median: 17.46
Q1: 12.45
Min: 0.95

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

12.67

Max: 43.60
Q3: 25.79
Median: 17.46
URBN: 12.67
Q1: 12.45
Min: 0.95

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Alibaba (BABA) at 0.27 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 1.07 prices around its industry’s middle — BABA costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.27

Max: 3.35
Q3: 1.59
Median: 0.73
Q1: 0.28
BABA: 0.27
Min: 0.03

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.07

Max: 3.35
Q3: 1.59
URBN: 1.07
Median: 0.73
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.03

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Alibaba (BABA) at 1.69 and Urban Outfitters (URBN) at 2.66 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

BABA

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.69

Max: 9.86
Q3: 4.94
Median: 1.88
BABA: 1.69
Q1: 1.17
Min: -3.73

URBN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

2.66

Max: 9.86
Q3: 4.94
URBN: 2.66
Median: 1.88
Q1: 1.17
Min: -3.73

Alibaba (BABA) vs. Urban Outfitters (URBN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Alibaba (BABA) and Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Metric	BABA	URBN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	25.62	12.67
P/S Ratio (TTM)	0.27	1.07
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.69	2.66
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	-29.36%	1.46%