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

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Monday. Traders bought 59,509 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 26% compared to the typical volume of 47,208 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Baidu in a research report on Saturday, March 8th. Susquehanna lowered Baidu from a “positive” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $105.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Monday, November 25th. China Renaissance lowered Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $86.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, November 25th. StockNews.com lowered Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Baidu from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Baidu has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baidu

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baidu in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Sycomore Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Baidu in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Baidu by 88.5% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 656 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $72,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $82,000.

Baidu Price Performance

BIDU stock opened at $102.51 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Baidu has a 52-week low of $77.20 and a 52-week high of $116.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $89.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $89.69. The company has a market capitalization of $35.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.18, a P/E/G 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.