Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) – What Are Researchers Saying About This Stock?

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and eleven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $141.71.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on BIDU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Baidu from $175.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Baidu from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Morgan Stanley cut Baidu from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Arete Research downgraded Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $108.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, September 7th. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Baidu from $140.00 to $105.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 28th.

Baidu Stock Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:BIDU traded up $0.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $78.14. 3,281,848 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,271,771. Baidu has a one year low of $75.80 and a one year high of $165.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 2.33. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $84.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $110.90. The company has a market cap of $26.70 billion, a PE ratio of -37.03, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baidu

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Baidu in the 3rd quarter worth about $799,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Baidu by 21.0% during the 3rd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 8,602 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $747,000 after purchasing an additional 1,495 shares in the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at about $869,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Baidu by 188.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 149,488 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $12,986,000 after purchasing an additional 97,638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz SE raised its holdings in Baidu by 55.9% in the third quarter. Allianz SE now owns 8,551 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $743,000 after buying an additional 3,065 shares during the last quarter.

Baidu News Roundup

Here’s some of the latest news about BIDU:

• Positive Sentiment: Citi maintained a Buy rating and a $154 price target, citing Baidu’s expanding AI ecosystem. Baidu’s Expanding AI Ecosystem Supports Buy Rating and US$154 Target
• Positive Sentiment: Baidu introduced the ERNIE 5.5 Flash Preview, enterprise AI-agent upgrades, and a Token Exchange marketplace, while saying Apollo Go now operates in 28 cities. These launches could support future AI and cloud growth, though commercial impact remains to be demonstrated. Baidu Unveils ERNIE 5.5 As Apollo Go Reaches 28 Cities
• Neutral Sentiment: Baidu is scheduled to report Q3 results on November 16. Revenue is forecast to rise, but reports flag lower expected earnings and a difficult balance between AI-cloud growth, weaker advertising, increased investment, and margin pressure. Results and guidance may be a near-term catalyst. Baidu to Report Q3 Earnings: What’s in Store for the Stock?

Baidu Company Profile

Baidu, Inc. is a Chinese technology company best known for its internet search engine and related online services. Founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, the company is headquartered in Beijing and primarily serves users and business customers in China. Its offerings include Baidu Search, the Baidu mobile app and Baidu Maps, as well as online marketing services. Baidu also develops cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies, including generative AI products and services for businesses and consumers.