Zacks Research Upgrades Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) to “Hold”

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday, Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on BIDU. Bank of America decreased their target price on Baidu from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Baidu in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Benchmark dropped their price target on shares of Baidu from $215.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Baidu from $230.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Baidu from $124.00 to $96.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Baidu presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $149.33.

Baidu Stock Up 0.9%

BIDU opened at $80.50 on Monday. Baidu has a one year low of $79.65 and a one year high of $165.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 2.33 and a current ratio of 2.33. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $90.75 and its 200-day moving average is $109.31. The company has a market capitalization of $27.39 billion, a PE ratio of -38.15, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.59.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Signature Equity Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Baidu in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Baidu by 20.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 587 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Baidu by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,090 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $121,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Baidu by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,414 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $121,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Baidu by 193.9% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,749 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154 shares in the last quarter.

More Baidu News

Here are the key news stories impacting Baidu this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some Wall Street analysts maintain bullish views on Baidu, which could provide limited support if investors focus on the company’s AI initiatives and valuation rather than the litigation. However, analyst recommendations are not guaranteed to be reliable buy signals. Is It Worth Investing in Baidu Inc. Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests a possible short-term rebound after the steep decline, including a potential “dead-cat bounce,” but this would be speculative and would not necessarily signal a fundamental recovery. How a Possible Dead-Cat Bounce May Trigger an Options Payout
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a securities class action covering investors who purchased Baidu securities from November 18, 2025, through August 17, 2026. The complaints allege Baidu’s reporting emphasized an unaudited “Core AI-powered Business” while failing to warn that declining advertising revenue could outpace AI-related growth. The allegations have not been proven, but the legal uncertainty and potential financial or reputational costs are weighing on sentiment. Investors have until November 13, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. BIDU Shareholder Alert and Class Action Allegations
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s fresh 52-week low reinforces the market’s bearish technical momentum. With shares substantially below longer-term moving averages, investors appear concerned that Baidu’s AI growth will take time to compensate for weakness in its core search and advertising business. Baidu at a New 52-Week Low

About Baidu

Baidu, Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) is a Chinese internet and artificial intelligence company founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu. The company began as an internet search provider and has expanded into a broad technology platform serving consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations.

Baidu’s consumer products include its search engine, Baidu App, Baidu Baike, Baidu Maps, Baidu Tieba and Baidu Wenku. Its business services include online advertising, cloud computing and AI Cloud offerings.