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How to buy Alibaba shares using a UK broker
Own Alibaba shares in just a few minutes.
The easiest way to buy Alibaba shares is through an online share dealing platforms. These platforms let you buy shares in companies and manage your portfolio online or through an app.
Compare the UK’s leading share dealing accounts below to find the best option for you.
Alibaba share price at a glance
- Code: BABA
- Exchange: NYSE
- Open: $182.31
- Previous close: $180.46
- Trade high: $183.82
- Trade low: $178.84
How to buy shares in Alibaba
- Choose a share dealing platform. Sometimes called a broker, or a share trading platform. Don’t worry if you’re a beginner, our table below will help you pick the right one for you.
- Open your account. You’ll need a passport or ID and your bank details. Usually you’re asked to enter name, email, date of birth, address, national insurance number and employment status.
- Confirm your payment details. You’ll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Find the shares you want to buy. Search the platform you’ve chosen and buy shares. It’s that simple.
Share dealing platform comparison
Updated September 22nd, 2019
The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.Alibaba share price
Use our graph to track the performance of BABA stock over time.
What affects Alibaba’s share price?
When buying or selling shares in a company it’s important to keep an eye on current affairs related to the company. We will talk you through some of the key things to keep an eye on when trading Alibaba shares.
- Financial reporting. It’s a good idea to know when Alibaba will be releasing the financial reports, this will let you know how the company is performing and will have a big impact on the share price. Alibaba reports annually on the 30th September each year.
- Company news. It’s important to keep up to date on the company news – for example, is Alibaba planning to release a new phone in the next few months? Are they looking to move into a new country or market? Are they hiring/firing staff? All of these events will have an impact on the share price of Alibaba.
- Wider news. You should also be aware of other external events and news that may have an impact on Alibaba’s share price – for instance, news about the mobile industry or their competitors.
- Does the company pay dividends? If a company pays dividends, it means they pay some of their profits back to shareholders. Currently, Alibaba does pay dividends on their shares.
- Shareholder meetings. These are often held annually and invite large shareholders to attend meetings and vote on matters relating to the company. It is a good idea to know when these are, as they may hold importance over the direction of the company. Alibaba host a shareholder meeting annually in February.
Buying overseas stocks
First things first, you should check if the platform you’re considering allows you to hold foreign shares. Whether you’re looking at a dealing account, a stocks and shares ISA, or a SIPP (self invested personal pension), different trading providers have different rules.
Under HMRC rules, you’re allowed to hold shares listed on a ‘recognised stock exchange’. Your provider, however, may not allow it. So, check what stocks you’re able to hold with the share dealing platform you’re considering.
Checklist before you invest in any company
- What does the company do? This might sound silly with a company like Alibaba, but can you explain what the company does in a few sentences? If you can’t, maybe you should go back to the drawing board.
- Is it making profits? This is a seemingly simple question. If you’re not sure whether a company is profitable, this could be a warning sign. If you want you can read Alibaba’s quarterly or annual earnings reports and take a look at the figures for yourself.
- Who are the main competitors? Every company operates alongside competitors. Before you invest you need to know if the company is the market leader, a newcomer, a fast-growing disrupter, and so on. If the company you’re considering investing in is global facing, you need to keep an eye on foreign competition too.
- Who is running the company? You’re not be a one-person hedge fund (yet). Even a cursory look at this can tell you something about the company’s stability and management style.
- Is the company’s position sustainable? If you’re investing for the long-term, you need to consider this question. If you’re looking for a short-term gain, perhaps this is less important.
- Is there room for future growth? Linked to the question above, what is the outlook for the medium to long-term. Has your company reached its maximum size?
Frequently asked questions
We exist to help you find better. The offers we've compared on this page are from a range of products whose details we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own financial circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you.
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