Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on BIDU. UBS Group set a $215.00 price target on Baidu in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Baidu in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 target price on Baidu in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their price target on Baidu from $100.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Baidu from $159.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $152.17.

Baidu Stock Up 0.3%

BIDU stock opened at $150.02 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $51.82 billion, a PE ratio of 49.84 and a beta of 0.30. Baidu has a 1 year low of $74.71 and a 1 year high of $155.41. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $128.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $115.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baidu

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Primecap Management Co. CA boosted its holdings in Baidu by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 12,116,750 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,039,132,000 after purchasing an additional 170,414 shares during the period. RPD Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Baidu by 161.6% during the 2nd quarter. RPD Fund Management LLC now owns 1,258,856 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $107,959,000 after purchasing an additional 777,570 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group acquired a new position in shares of Baidu during the third quarter valued at about $165,334,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Baidu by 106.7% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,129,272 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $148,804,000 after buying an additional 582,832 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its position in Baidu by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 977,817 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $128,847,000 after buying an additional 5,343 shares in the last quarter.

More Baidu News

Here are the key news stories impacting Baidu this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ernie AI hits a major scale milestone — reports say Baidu’s Ernie assistant has topped ~200 million monthly active users, underscoring traction for Baidu’s consumer-facing AI and monetization potential via search and ads. Baidu’s AI Assistant Reaches Milestone of 200 Million Monthly Active Users
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reaffirms a Buy and keeps a $180 price target, highlighting an AI-led recovery and advertising rebound as key upside drivers — a supportive analyst stance that can lift sentiment and attract flows. Baidu: AI-Led Recovery, Advertising Rebound, and Strategic Catalysts Underpin Buy Rating and $180 Target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies also maintained a Buy, citing AI-led growth, asset monetization opportunities and potential capital returns — additional buy-side reinforcement that supports the stock’s upward bias. AI-Led Growth, Asset Unlocks, and Capital Returns Underpin Baidu Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Apollo Go robotaxi commercial launch in Abu Dhabi signals progress on autonomous mobility commercialization and an additional long-term revenue/ad tech use case for Baidu’s AI stack. Baidu Stock Climbs — Apollo Go Robotaxi Launch in Abu Dhabi
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor mix: individual investors reportedly own ~41% of shares while institutions hold ~40% — this split can increase retail-driven intraday volatility but also indicates broad interest. Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) most popular amongst individual investors who own 41% of the shares, institutions hold 40%
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/coverage pieces are highlighting Baidu as a top China AI pick and part of a broader thematic trade into discounted Chinese internet names — positive for flows but dependent on broader China sentiment. 2 Chinese Stocks With Big Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro/regulatory risk remain watchpoints — BIDU trades at a relatively high P/E (~49.8) which raises expectations for continued revenue/earnings delivery; any slowdown in ad recovery or tighter China tech scrutiny could pressure the stock.

Baidu Company Profile

Baidu, Inc, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Beijing, is a Chinese multinational technology company best known for operating one of China’s leading internet search engines. The company built its business around online search and related advertising services, providing search, content aggregation and targeted ad placements to consumers and marketers across China. Baidu went public on the NASDAQ in 2005 and has since diversified beyond search into a broader technology and AI-focused portfolio.

Core products and services include the Baidu search platform and mobile app, Baidu Maps and Baidu Baike (an online encyclopedia), along with digital content initiatives.