Baidu (BIDU) Stock Pops After Beating Q1 Revenue and Profit Estimates

As of 1:43 PM EDT, Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) was trading at $86.34, down 3.36% on the day.

As of 1:43 PM ET, Monday, Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was trading at $86.34, down 3.36% on the day. Here's a look at what happened:

What Happened: As of 1:43 PM EDT, Monday, Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was trading at $86.34, down 3.36% on the day.

Here's a look at what happened:

On May 21, the Chinese tech firm reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31. Revenue edged up 3% year-over-year to CNY32.45 billion ($4.47 billion), narrowly beating the average analyst forecast of CNY30.90 billion ($4.30 billion).

The company posted adjusted earnings of CNY18.54 per share, down from CNY19.91 last year but still coming in above the consensus estimate of CNY14.74. Baidu’s reported earnings per share came in even higher at CNY21.59.

What Impacted Baidu’s Earnings:

Despite a challenging macroeconomic climate, Baidu demonstrated resilience with surprising revenue growth and strong earnings.

Crucial Contributions:

AI Cloud: A key driver of Baidu's earnings was the outstanding performance of its AI Cloud business, which achieved 42% Y/Y growth. CEO Robin Li attributed this to a rapid response to market demand for full-stack AI products at competitive price-performance levels. Interim CFO Junjie He further highlighted the pivotal role of AI Cloud in supporting the quarter's revenue.

Pay Attention To: Rising SGA, R&D Down, Margins Affected - Baidu reported SG&A expenses at $815 million, a 10% increase year-over-year due to higher promotional costs. R&D spending, on the other hand, decreased by 15% Y/Y to $626 million. Despite the top-line strength, adjusted EBITDA margins took a hit. Overall margin slipped by 400 basis points to 22%, and Core EBITDA margin fell to 26%.

Cash Flow and Investments: At the end of the quarter, Baidu held $19.6 billion in cash and equivalents. However, on an adjusted basis, free cash flow showed an outflow of $1.23 billion. Excluding iQIYI, the outflow was $1.27 billion, indicating significant investments, particularly in AI.

Another Milestone: Baidu also reached a significant milestone in its autonomous driving endeavors. Its robotaxi service, Apollo Go, launched in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, marking a crucial step in expanding Baidu's AI-driven mobility solutions internationally.

Analyst Sentiment: According to the latest data from TipRanks, analyst sentiment on BIDU remains positive. Of the 31 analysts covering BIDU, 18 are recommending a Buy or Strong Buy, 12 suggest Hold, and only 1 has a Sell recommendation.

The analysts’ 12-month price target for BIDU shares ranges from a low of $70.00 to a high of $150.00, with a median target of $107.85. Shares of BIDU are currently down 2.9% over the last quarter but are up by 6% year-to-date.

As of Monday morning, no analysts have made any new price, earnings or revenue forecasts for Baidu in the last 30 days. Moreover, there have been no major changes to analysts’ thinking on BIDU, with 1 analyst upgrading their rating of the shares in the last three months, compared to no analysts who downgraded their rating.