Baidu Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders acquired 64,745 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 52% compared to the typical volume of 42,507 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. China Renaissance cut 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. Susquehanna cut shares of Baidu from a “positive” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $105.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Baidu in a research report on Friday. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Baidu from $130.00 to $115.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered Baidu from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Baidu currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $113.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baidu

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in shares of Baidu during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,054,000. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new position in Baidu during the third quarter worth about $790,000. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $72,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Baidu by 147.5% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 381,456 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $32,161,000 after acquiring an additional 227,338 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in shares of Baidu by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 182,817 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $19,249,000 after acquiring an additional 15,000 shares during the period.

Baidu Stock Performance

NASDAQ:BIDU traded up $3.83 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $86.40. 3,983,296 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,900,973. The company has a 50-day moving average of $84.92 and a 200 day moving average of $88.84. Baidu has a 1-year low of $77.19 and a 1-year high of $116.25. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.46.

About Baidu

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.