Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (PSNY) vs Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | BABA | 5.9% revenue growth vs PSNY's -14.5% |
| Quality / Margins | BABA | 12.2% net margin vs PSNY's -89.0% |
| Stability / Safety | BABA | Beta 0.90 vs PSNY's 1.34 |
| Dividends | BABA | 1.2% yield; 2-year raise streak; PSNY pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PSNY | +20.4% vs BABA's +10.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BABA | 6.5% ROA vs PSNY's -62.4%, ROIC 9.6% vs -109.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Polestar is a premium electric vehicle manufacturer that designs, develops, and sells high-performance electric cars. It generates revenue primarily through vehicle sales—with its Polestar 2 sedan as the current volume driver—and through future planned models like the Polestar 3 SUV and Polestar 4 coupe SUV. The company benefits from its strategic partnership with Volvo Cars and Geely, which provides manufacturing expertise, shared technology platforms, and established distribution networks.
Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce and technology conglomerate that operates digital marketplaces connecting buyers and sellers. It generates revenue primarily from its core commerce segments — China Commerce (~65%) and International Commerce (~10%) — along with cloud services (~10%) and logistics through Cainiao. Its key competitive advantage is its massive ecosystem network effect, where its platforms like Taobao and Tmall create a self-reinforcing cycle of merchants and consumers that's difficult for competitors to replicate.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
BABA leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). PSNY leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BABA is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.01T annually — 396.7x PSNY's $2.6B. BABA is the more profitable business, keeping 12.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PSNY's -89.0%. On growth, PSNY holds the edge at +24.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.6B | $1.01T |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$2.4B | $114.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$2.3B | $123.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$1.5B | $2.6B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -32.5% | +41.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -95.8% | +10.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -89.0% | +12.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -57.7% | +0.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +24.2% | +4.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -115.4% | -52.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.1B | $2.66T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.4B | $2.67T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -24.00x | 18.44x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 3.42x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 104.23x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.05x | 18.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 2.19x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 233.68x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BABA scores 7/9 vs PSNY's 1/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +11.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -62.4% | +6.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -109.3% | +9.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +10.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.3B | $66.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $739M | $181.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.0B | $248.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.73x | 15.74x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PSNY five years ago would be worth $23,280 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,154 for BABA. Over the past 12 months, PSNY leads with a +2035.8% total return vs BABA's +10.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PSNY at 63.6% vs BABA's 19.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +17.5% | -7.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +2035.8% | +10.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +337.6% | +69.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +132.8% | -38.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +132.8% | +116.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +63.6% | +19.2% |
Risk & Volatility
BABA is the less volatile stock with a 0.90 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PSNY's 1.34 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. PSNY currently trades 99.1% from its 52-week high vs BABA's 74.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.34x | 0.90x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $23.49 | $192.67 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.50 | $95.73 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.1% | +74.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.7 | 33.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 220K | 10.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PSNY as "Sell" and BABA as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 30.9% upside for BABA (target: $189) vs -35.6% for PSNY (target: $15). BABA is the only dividend payer here at 1.23% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | PSNYPolestar Automoti… | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Sell | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $15.00 | $188.62 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 5 | 58 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.2% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $12.14 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.5% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | 100 | 145.3 | +45.3% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 100 | 76.72 | -23.3% |
Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) returned +133% over 5 years vs Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA)'s -38%. A $10,000 investment in PSNY 5 years ago would be worth $23,280 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | $92M | $2.0B | +2101.2% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | $101.1B | $996.3B | +885.1% |
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's revenue grew from $101.1B (2016) to $996.3B (2025) — a 28.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | -2.1% | -100.8% | -4603.9% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 70.7% | 13.1% | -81.5% |
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's net margin went from 71% (2016) to 13% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 8.8 | 2.7 | -69.3% |
Alibaba Group Holding Limited has traded in a 2x–9x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~18x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polestar Automotive… (PSNY) | -0.99 | -0.97 | +2.0% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 34 | 53.6 | +57.6% |
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's EPS grew from $34.00 (2016) to $53.60 (2025) — a 5% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC generated $-1B FCF in 2024 (-205% vs 2021). Alibaba Group Holding Limited generated $78B FCF in 2025 (-57% vs 2021).
PSNY vs BABA: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PSNY or BABA a better buy right now?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) offers the better valuation at 18.4x trailing P/E (3.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) a "Buy" — based on 58 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — PSNY or BABA?
Over the past 5 years, Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (PSNY) delivered a total return of +132.8%, compared to -38.5% for Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA). A $10,000 investment in PSNY five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PSNY returned +132.8% versus BABA's +116.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — PSNY or BABA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.90β versus Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC's 1.34β — meaning PSNY is approximately 49% more volatile than BABA relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — PSNY or BABA?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is the more profitable company, earning 13.1% net margin versus -100.8% for Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC — meaning it keeps 13.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BABA leads at 14.1% versus -89.1% for PSNY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BABA leads at 40.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is PSNY or BABA more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BABA: 30.9% to $188.62.
06Which pays a better dividend — PSNY or BABA?
In this comparison, BABA (1.2% yield) pays a dividend. PSNY does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is PSNY or BABA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.90), 1.2% yield, +116.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BABA: +116.1%, PSNY: +132.8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between PSNY and BABA?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. BABA pays a dividend while PSNY does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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