Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) saw unusually large options trading on Monday. Investors purchased 59,509 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 26% compared to the average daily volume of 47,208 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on BIDU shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Baidu in a research report on Saturday, March 8th. Nomura lowered Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. China Renaissance lowered Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $86.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Baidu from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Nomura Securities lowered Baidu from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $111.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baidu in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $337,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in Baidu by 171.8% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 28,936 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $2,440,000 after acquiring an additional 18,290 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Baidu by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 48,176 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $4,062,000 after buying an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in Baidu in the fourth quarter valued at about $265,000. Finally, CoreView Capital Management Ltd boosted its position in Baidu by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. CoreView Capital Management Ltd now owns 1,262,003 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $106,399,000 after buying an additional 25,220 shares in the last quarter.

Baidu Stock Up 0.2 %

NASDAQ:BIDU opened at $102.51 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $89.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $89.69. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Baidu has a 1-year low of $77.20 and a 1-year high of $116.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.47.

Baidu Company Profile

Baidu, Inc engages in the provision of internet search services in China. It operates through two segments: Baidu Core and iQIYI. The company offers Baidu App to access search, feed, and other services using mobile devices; Baidu Search to access its search and other services; Baidu Feed that provides users with personalized timeline based on their demographics and interests; Baidu Health that helps users to find the doctor and hospital for healthcare needs; and Haokan, a short video app.