Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Baidu and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Baidu in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Baidu from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $160.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 6th. UBS Group set a $215.00 target price on Baidu in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Baidu from $154.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Three 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, Baidu presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $152.17.

Baidu Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:BIDU opened at $150.02 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $128.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $115.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 1.91. The company has a market capitalization of $51.82 billion, a PE ratio of 49.84 and a beta of 0.30. Baidu has a 52 week low of $74.71 and a 52 week high of $155.41.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baidu

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BIDU. Binnacle Investments Inc bought a new position in shares of Baidu in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Winthrop Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Baidu in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Baidu in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Baidu by 65.0% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Baidu by 12,400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 375 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares in the last quarter.

Baidu News Roundup

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.