Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Baidu Call Options (NASDAQ:BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders acquired 63,458 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 16% compared to the typical volume of 54,660 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Macquarie upgraded shares of Baidu from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $91.00 to $176.00 in a report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Baidu from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Baidu in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Baidu from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $110.00 to $188.00 in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Baidu from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $147.44.

Baidu Stock Up 13.2%

Baidu stock traded up $17.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $147.97. The company had a trading volume of 6,991,174 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,441,108. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Baidu has a 1 year low of $74.71 and a 1 year high of $149.51. The business has a fifty day moving average of $122.65 and a 200 day moving average of $109.56. The stock has a market cap of $51.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.09 and a beta of 0.30.

Key Stores Impacting Baidu

Here are the key news stories impacting Baidu this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Baidu announced a proposed spin-off and separate listing of Kunlunxin, positioning the AI-chip unit to raise capital independently and scale third‑party chip sales — a strategic move investors see as value-accretive. Baidu Announces Proposed Spin-off and Separate Listing of Kunlunxin
• Positive Sentiment: Kunlunxin has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong listing, signaling management is moving quickly to capitalize on strong investor interest in domestic AI chips and China’s semiconductor self‑reliance policy. Baidu’s AI chip arm Kunlunxin files confidentially for Hong Kong listing
• Positive Sentiment: Broad market coverage (CNBC, WSJ, Barron’s, Yahoo) highlights strong investor appetite for China AI plays; the spinoff story is cited as the primary trigger for the stock’s jump as traders rotate into domestic AI/semiconductor exposure. Baidu Files Hong Kong IPO for AI Chip Unit Kunlunxin
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentaries are increasingly bullish on Baidu’s AI growth outlook for 2026, which amplifies the positive sentiment but relies on execution of both AI services and the new chip listing. Why Is Baidu Stock (BIDU) Soaring Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and market context (rising U.S. futures, Asia tech rally) are helping stocks like BIDU; these broader moves may amplify the headline-driven stock reaction but could reverse with broader market swings. 5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens
• Negative Sentiment: An investor class-action inquiry from Pomerantz was announced recently; while not tied to the spin-off, any legal overhang or new claims could be a downside risk for sentiment and share volatility. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Baidu, Inc. – BIDU

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baidu

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Keel Point LLC raised its stake in shares of Baidu by 1.7% during the third quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 5,144 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $678,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Baidu by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,378 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $577,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its position in Baidu by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 857 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Baidu by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,043 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $137,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its holdings in shares of Baidu by 4.0% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 2,969 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $391,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter.

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.