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

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) saw 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 average daily volume of 47,208 call options.

Baidu Price Performance

NASDAQ:BIDU traded up $7.04 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $100.86. 6,021,237 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,864,837. The company has a market capitalization of $35.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.47. Baidu has a 1-year low of $77.20 and a 1-year high of $116.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The business has a 50 day moving average of $88.34 and a 200 day moving average of $89.44.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on BIDU. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Baidu in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Baidu in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Baidu from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. China Renaissance downgraded Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $86.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Baidu from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Baidu currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baidu

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,054,000. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at $790,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings 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 valued at $32,161,000 after acquiring an additional 227,338 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu during the 3rd quarter valued at $72,000. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of Baidu during the 4th quarter valued at $558,000.

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.