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Baidu, Inc. (BIDU)

Communication Services Out of favour

Baidu is China's leading internet search engine and a major player in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology.

$111.11

Is Baidu, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: Baidu is China's leading internet search engine and a major player in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price+28.6%
Priced in USD - as a UK investor your £ return also moves with the pound-to-dollar exchange rate, on top of the share price itself.
52-week range+19% past year
$111.11
Low $84.64High $165.30
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.
If you had put $1,000 into Baidu, Inc.
$1,286+29%

Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
$37.69B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
2.53M
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
$107.77 – $111.21
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
$84.64 – $165.30
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
0.0%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.56
How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.56
Calm
Wild
Steadier than most

Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.

Why has it been moving?▼ -4% past week · ▲ +19% past year

Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.

The bull case

Baidu becomes a dominant leader in global AI infrastructure.

The bear case

Failure to monetise new tech, leading to long-term stagnation.

What does Baidu, Inc. do?

Often called the 'Google of China', Baidu makes most of its money through online advertising on its search platform. Beyond search, the company is pouring resources into cloud computing and self-driving car technology, hoping these will be the engines of future growth. Its future rests on whether these new tech ventures can eventually turn a healthy profit to offset the slowing growth in their traditional advertising business.

VQGMI
Factor profile

On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on growth.

Value: How cheap the stock looks versus profits, sales and assets (higher = cheaper). 86Quality: How profitable and financially healthy the company is (higher = stronger). 37Growth: How fast revenue and earnings are growing (higher = faster). 6Momentum: How the share price has been trending recently (higher = stronger recent run). 29Income: The dividend income on offer and how sustainable it looks (higher = more/steadier). 16
Quick checks
What's strong
  • Value screens high (86/100)
  • Dominant position in the Chinese search market
  • Significant investment and expertise in AI and autonomous driving
  • Low valuation multiples compared to global tech peers
What to watch
  • Growth screens low (6/100)
  • Momentum screens low (29/100)
  • Income screens low (16/100)
  • Heavy reliance on the Chinese advertising market
  • Intense competition from other Chinese tech giants

What do Baidu, Inc.'s numbers mean?

Forward P/E
12.3
This suggests investors are currently paying about £12 for every £1 of expected annual profit, which is relatively low compared to many other big tech companies.
P/S
0.3
This compares the company's total market value to its annual sales, indicating that the market is currently valuing the business at a fraction of the revenue it generates.
Net margin
1.0%
This shows that for every £100 of sales, the company keeps only £1 as actual profit after all expenses are paid, highlighting very thin current profitability.
Beta
0.6
A number below 1.0 suggests the share price has historically been less jumpy or volatile than the wider stock market.

How much money does Baidu, Inc. make?

Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.

RevenueNet income
CNY 0CNY 8.19BCNY 16.37BCNY 24.55BCNY 32.74BQ1 25Q2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26
Gross margin
42.1%
Net margin
1.0%
Return on equity
0.3%

Does Baidu, Inc. pay a dividend?

No - Baidu, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.

More in Communication Services

Meta PlatformsAlphabet (Google)Alphabet (Google)Electronic Arts Inc.Omnicom Group Inc.Comcast CorporationVerizon Communications Inc.AT&T Inc.

What are the scenarios for Baidu, Inc.?

An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.

$161$111$96today · $111▲ Bull · $119• Base · $111▼ Bear · $103in 1 yearILLUSTRATIVE · NOT A PREDICTION OR PRICE TARGET
Bull
+5% to +10%A sudden uptick in advertising demand across China.
Base
-2% to +2%Steady performance with no major surprises.
Bear
-5% to -10%Continued decline in core advertising revenue.

What are the pros and cons of Baidu, Inc.?

3bull points
6bear points

How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • Dominant position in the Chinese search market
  • Significant investment and expertise in AI and autonomous driving
  • Low valuation multiples compared to global tech peers
The catch3
  • Very thin profit margins currently
  • Declining year-on-year revenue and earnings
  • No dividend payments for income-focused investors
Key risks3
  • Heavy reliance on the Chinese advertising market
  • Intense competition from other Chinese tech giants
  • Potential for unpredictable regulatory changes in China
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

Confidence: medium · data: USD · flags: pe · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →

This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.

Figures as of 2026-08-01. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.