BOCOM International·2025-08-21 13:17Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating for the company Baidu (BIDU US) with a target price of $99.00, indicating a potential upside of 14.1% from the current price of $86.76 [4][14]. Core Insights - Traditional search continues to face pressure, but the value of the second and third growth curves is becoming evident [2]. - The report highlights that Baidu's core advertising revenue has been negatively impacted by the transformation towards AI search, with a 15% year-on-year decline [7]. - The AI business is showing promising growth, with new AI business revenues exceeding 10 billion RMB, a 34% year-on-year increase [7]. - The report anticipates that advertising revenue will remain under pressure in the upcoming quarters, projecting a 16% decline for the full year 2025 [7]. Financial Overview - Revenue projections for Baidu are as follows: - 2023: 134,598 million RMB - 2024: 133,125 million RMB - 2025E: 130,808 million RMB - 2026E: 140,276 million RMB - 2027E: 147,416 million RMB - Net profit estimates are: - 2023: 28,747 million RMB - 2024: 27,002 million RMB - 2025E: 14,739 million RMB - 2026E: 15,887 million RMB - 2027E: 15,788 million RMB [3][15]. - The report indicates a significant adjustment in earnings per share (EPS) forecasts, with 2025E EPS revised down to 42.30 RMB, reflecting a 44.9% year-on-year decline [3][15]. Business Segments - Baidu's core revenue is projected to decline, with online marketing services expected to drop by 25% year-on-year in Q3 2025 [9]. - The cloud segment is expected to grow by 25% year-on-year, although growth may slow in the second half of the year due to project-based service revenue recognition [7]. - The autonomous driving and new business segment is showing strong growth, with a 148% year-on-year increase in global orders for the "萝卜快跑" service [7]. Valuation and Outlook - The report maintains a valuation of 8 times P/E for traditional search advertising and 3 times P/S for AI and cloud businesses, supporting the target price of $99 [7]. - The report emphasizes that the value of Baidu's AI and cloud businesses remains underestimated, presenting a potential turnaround opportunity for the company [7].