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

21 Jan 2026, 17:08 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 75,529 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 45% compared to the typical volume of 51,967 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Baidu in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Baidu from $81.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Morgan Stanley set a $150.00 price target on Baidu in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Baidu from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Baidu from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $160.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.17.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Baidu

Baidu Trading Up 8.2%

Shares of NASDAQ BIDU traded up $12.26 on Wednesday, reaching $162.28. 5,742,459 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,768,467. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.06 billion, a PE ratio of 53.91 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a 50 day moving average of $128.52 and a 200 day moving average of $115.62. Baidu has a fifty-two week low of $74.71 and a fifty-two week high of $163.68.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Binnacle Investments Inc bought a new position in Baidu in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Winthrop Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Baidu during the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Baidu by 65.0% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 340 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Baidu by 12,400.0% during the third quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 375 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the period.

Key Stories Impacting Baidu

Here are the key news stories impacting Baidu this week:

Positive Sentiment: Ernie AI reportedly surpassed 200 million monthly active users — a major consumer adoption milestone that supports Baidu’s AI monetization and ad-revenue recovery story. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Baidu from “hold” to “strong‑buy” and ran bullish commentary (including a “Bull of the Day” feature), signaling renewed retail analyst interest. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and kept a $180 price target, citing an AI‑led recovery, advertising rebound and strategic catalysts as drivers. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reaffirmed a Buy rating, highlighting AI‑led growth, potential asset unlocks and capital return opportunities as supportive fundamentals. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Media and investment pieces are flagging Baidu as a top Chinese AI/Internet idea with upside potential, adding to positive sentiment among growth-focused investors. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: Ownership mix shows heavy retail interest (about 41% held by individual investors vs ~40% institutions), which can amplify moves on positive headlines but may increase volatility. Article Title

Baidu Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Baidu, Inc, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Beijing, is a Chinese multinational technology company best known for operating one of China’s leading internet search engines. The company built its business around online search and related advertising services, providing search, content aggregation and targeted ad placements to consumers and marketers across China. Baidu went public on the NASDAQ in 2005 and has since diversified beyond search into a broader technology and AI-focused portfolio.