Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock investors purchased 59,509 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 26% compared to the typical daily volume of 47,208 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Baidu during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,000. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Baidu in the 4th quarter valued at $337,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in Baidu by 171.8% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 28,936 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $2,440,000 after purchasing an additional 18,290 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in Baidu by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 48,176 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $4,062,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Baidu in the fourth quarter valued at $265,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Nomura lowered Baidu from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. China Renaissance lowered shares of Baidu from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $86.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, November 25th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Baidu in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Baidu from $142.00 to $141.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 29th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Baidu in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $111.25.

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Baidu Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ BIDU traded up $0.27 during trading on Friday, hitting $94.54. 3,768,211 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,971,958. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.47. The business's fifty day moving average is $89.71 and its 200 day moving average is $89.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 2.09. Baidu has a fifty-two week low of $77.20 and a fifty-two week high of $116.25.

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.