Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) Receives Buy Rating from Benchmark

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating restated by equities research analysts at Benchmark in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $130.00 price objective on the information services provider's stock. Benchmark's price target would suggest a potential upside of 42.56% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on BIDU. Susquehanna downgraded shares of Baidu from a "positive" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $105.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Baidu from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Baidu from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, December 27th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Baidu from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, China Renaissance downgraded shares of Baidu from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $86.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $111.25.

Baidu Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BIDU traded up $1.54 on Wednesday, hitting $91.19. 11,592,369 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,391,228. Baidu has a 1-year low of $77.19 and a 1-year high of $116.25. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $87.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $88.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.46.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 18,290 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings 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. purchased a new position in Baidu in the fourth quarter valued at $265,000. CoreView Capital Management Ltd increased its holdings 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. Finally, Triata Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Baidu in the fourth quarter valued at $16,308,000.

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.