Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Baidu Call Options (NASDAQ:BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was the target of unusually large options trading on Monday. Stock traders acquired 59,509 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 26% compared to the typical daily volume of 47,208 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baidu

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BIDU. Atria Investments Inc purchased a new position in Baidu during the 3rd quarter worth $216,000. Apollon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Baidu in the third quarter worth about $315,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its stake in shares of Baidu by 40.3% during the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 4,859 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $512,000 after acquiring an additional 1,396 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Baidu by 6.9% during the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 5,563 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $586,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Baidu by 18.9% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 16,822 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,771,000 after purchasing an additional 2,669 shares during the last quarter.

Baidu Stock Up 9.0 %

Shares of Baidu stock opened at $102.27 on Tuesday. Baidu has a 52-week low of $77.20 and a 52-week high of $116.25. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $88.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.57. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market cap of $35.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.15, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.47.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BIDU has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Baidu from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Baidu from $142.00 to $141.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Baidu in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Nomura Securities lowered Baidu from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Baidu from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.25.

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.