Zacks Research Upgrades Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) to Strong-Buy

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) was upgraded by equities researchers 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.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Nomura boosted their target price on Baidu from $140.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Baidu from $154.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 price target on Baidu in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Baidu in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, CLSA upgraded Baidu to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.17.

Baidu Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BIDU opened at $150.02 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $128.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.62. Baidu has a 1-year low of $74.71 and a 1-year high of $155.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.84 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BIDU. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baidu in the 1st quarter worth about $334,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Baidu by 17.0% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 935 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Baidu by 128.0% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,203 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $536,000 after acquiring an additional 3,482 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional grew its position in shares of Baidu by 34.1% during the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 715 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its stake in shares of Baidu by 174.8% during the 2nd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 2,855 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 1,816 shares during the last quarter.

Key Baidu News

Here are the key news stories impacting Baidu this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ernie AI hits a major scale milestone — Baidu’s Ernie assistant reportedly reached ~200 million monthly active users, highlighting accelerating consumer adoption that can boost search engagement, ad monetization and product stickiness. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Baidu to a “strong-buy” and featured it as their Bull of the Day, signaling improving sell‑side conviction and likely increasing investor interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reaffirmed a Buy and keeps a $180 price target, citing an AI-led recovery and ad rebound—this raises the visible upside and supports a re‑rating. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated a Buy, highlighting AI-driven growth, asset unlock potential and capital-return prospects—additional analyst support that can attract institutional flows. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Product expansion: Baidu’s autonomous driving arm launched Apollo Go robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi—an execution/expansion win for its mobility business and a sign of international commercialization progress. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Ownership structure: retail investors own ~41% of BIDU while institutions hold ~40%—high retail interest can amplify moves on positive news but also increase volatility. Article Title

About Baidu

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.