The Motley Foolยท2025-07-15 17:15Core Viewpoint - Baidu's shares surged significantly due to a strategic partnership with Uber to deploy autonomous vehicles globally, indicating a potential growth opportunity for the company [1][3]. Group 1: Partnership Details - Baidu and Uber announced a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at deploying thousands of Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform in various global markets outside the U.S. and mainland China [3]. - The partnership focuses on increasing the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options, leveraging Uber's extensive reach as a leading ride-hailing platform [3]. Group 2: Market Context - Uber facilitated 3 billion rides in the first quarter, with over 170 million monthly active users, showcasing the platform's significant market presence and growth potential [3]. - The partnership could serve as a major catalyst for Baidu, which has been diversifying beyond its core search business into areas like AI and cloud services [5]. Group 3: Baidu's Autonomous Fleet - Baidu's Apollo Go fleet consists of over 1,000 driverless vehicles, making it the world's leading autonomous ride-hailing service [4]. - Initial deployments of the partnership are expected in Asia and the Middle East later this year, with options for riders to choose fully driverless vehicles for their trips [4]. Group 4: Financial Outlook - Baidu is currently valued at just 9 times trailing-12-month earnings, suggesting an attractive price point given the potential opportunities from the partnership with Uber [6].