Better Buy: Alibaba vs. Alphabet

This includes Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOG), who sported gains of 32% and 15%, respectively, in 2020 to date -- compared to just 5.5% for the S&P 500. Both are trailing behind the returns for some of their peers, though, largely because each comes with its own imperfections: Alibaba caught in political crosshairs as the U.S. and China still duke it out over trade relations, and Alphabet because of weakness in its ad business from the pandemic and ongoing regulatory scrutiny at home and abroad.