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. It also provides Baidu Knows, an online community where users can ask questions to other users; Baidu Wiki; Baidu Experience; Baidu Post; ERNIE Bot, conversational AI bot; Baidu Wenku; Baidu Maps, a voice-enabled mobile app that provides travel-related services; Baidu Drive; Baijiahao; and DuerOS, a smart assistant platform. In addition, it offers online marketing services, which include pay for performance, an auction-based services that allow customers to bid for priority placement of paid sponsored links and reach users who search for information related to their products or services; other marketing services that include display-based marketing services and other online marketing services based on performance criteria other than cost per click; mobile ecosystem, a portfolio of apps, including Baidu App, Haokan, and Baidu Post; various cloud services and solutions, such as platform as a service, software as a service, and infrastructure as a service; self-driving services, including maps, automated valet parking, navigation pilot, electric vehicles, and robotaxi fleets, as well as Xiaodu smart devices. Further, the company provides iQIYI, an online entertainment service, including original and licensed content; other video content and membership; and online advertising services. It has strategic partnership with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The company was formerly known as Baidu.com, Inc. Baidu, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Baidu выглядит как компания с сильной балансовой базой, но с заметно просевшей операционной отдачей по сравнению с собственной историей. С одной стороны, у неё низкий debt/equity 0.20, высокий current ratio 1.76, крупный cash on hand 16.5 млрд и очень солидный собственный капитал 39.5 млрд, что снижает риск финансового стресса. С другой стороны, quick ratio равен 0.00, а это сигнал, что структура оборотных активов не идеальна и ликвидность зависит не только от мгновенно доступных средств. По оценке рынок уже закладывает немало оптимизма: P/E 75.3, P/S 2.32 и P/FCF 24.5 существенно выше медианы отрасли, поэтому запас переоценки по мультипликаторам ограничен. Единственный относительно мягкий мультипликатор — P/B 1.16, который ниже отраслевой медианы, но он не компенсирует дороговизну по прибыли, выручке и свободному денежному потоку. Рентабельность сейчас слабая: ROE 2.04, ROA 1.27, ROI 1.66 и return on tangible equity 2.46 находятся значительно ниже отраслевых ориентиров и резко хуже уровней, которые компания показывала ранее в 2024–2025 годах. Особенно настораживает падение operating margin до 0.00 и снижение net profit margin до 4.33, тогда как годом ранее маржа была существенно выше. Gross margin тоже снижается по траектории 50.35% → 43.88%, что говорит о давлении на качество доходов. При этом выручка за TTM выросла до 5.04 млрд, а gross profit остаётся на приемлемом уровне, то есть бизнес не теряет масштаб, но монетизация этого масштаба ухудшилась. Чистая прибыль и операционная прибыль в последнем периоде заметно слабее, чем на пике предыдущих кварталов, что снижает уверенность в устойчивости текущей оценки. Долг при этом не выглядит критичным, но его рост в сочетании с падением доходности капитала делает профиль риска менее привлекательным. В целом фундаментал даёт смешанный сигнал: баланс и масштаб бизнеса поддерживают оценку, но дорогие мультипликаторы и резкое ухудшение эффективности требуют осторожности. Для инвестора это скорее история с ограниченным апсайдом в ближайший год, если не появится подтверждение восстановления маржинальности и прибыли.

Baidu, Inc.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Медведи в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bears are confused.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, flat. The market does not support the bulls.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок на стороне медведей.

Strong index, flat. The market is on the bears' side.

Средний индекс, незначительно вырос. Отток средств из лонгов снизился, но остается значительным.

Medium index, slightly up. The outflow of funds from longs has decreased, but remains significant.

Средний индекс, незначительно упал. Приток средств в шорты на высоком уровне.

Medium index, slightly down. Inflow of funds into shorts at a high level.

Сильный баланс и рост выручки у Baidu сочетаются с падением маржинальности и слабой рентабельностью, а оценка по прибыли и FCF уже выглядит дорогой.

An updated edition of the April 22, 2026, article.
The global automotive industry is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its history, fueled by the rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and advances in autonomous vehicle (AV) driving technology. As battery technology improves, driving ranges increase and charging networks become more widespread, EVs are becoming a practical choice for a growing number of consumers. At the same time, high fuel prices amid the Middle East conflict are strengthening the economic case for electric cars.
For much of the past decade, Tesla TSLA was viewed as the undisputed leader in the EV market. However, the competitive landscape has changed significantly. Chinese automakers, led by BYD, have emerged as formidable competitors, while established global automakers are investing billions of dollars to accelerate their own electrification strategies. Meanwhile, a wave of new EV-focused companies is entering the market, intensifying competition and giving consumers more choices than ever before.
The shift toward electric mobility continues to gain momentum globally. Per International Energy Agency, EV sales rose 20% year over year to surpass 20 million units in 2025, accounting for roughly one in every four new vehicles sold worldwide. Global EV sales are projected to reach 23 million units in 2026, representing approximately 28% of all new vehicle sales. Europe is expected to be one of the fastest-growing regions, where nearly one-third of new cars sold could be electric by 2026. China, already the world's largest EV market, is also expected to see continued growth, with electric vehicles approaching 60% of total vehicle sales.
Beyond electrification, autonomous driving is emerging as the industry's next major growth opportunity. Advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, cameras, and vehicle connectivity are steadily improving the capabilities of self-driving systems. The global autonomous vehicle market, valued at $3.36 trillion in 2025, is expected to reach $4.44 trillion in 2026 and $41.75 trillion by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 32.3% during 2026-2034, according to Fortune Business Insights. Companies like Alphabet’s GOOGL Waymo and Baidu BIDU are key players in this space.
For investors, EVs and AVs represent a strong long-term opportunity. They combine growth, innovation and rising demand. Our Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving Screen highlights companies positioned to benefit from these trends, including NIO Inc. NIO, WeRide Inc. WRD, Lithium Americas Corp. LAC and ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. CHPT.
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NIO: The companyappears to be entering a more promising phase of its growth story, supported by accelerating vehicle deliveries, a broader product portfolio and improving operational discipline. The Chinese EV maker has regained momentum in recent quarters as demand for its vehicles strengthens and newer models gain traction in the market.
A key driver of this growth is NIO's expanding lineup. At the premium end, the recently launched ES9 is expected to further strengthen NIO's position. The model builds on the success of ES8, which has consistently been one of the best-selling vehicles in China's high-end automotive segment. The company’s sub-brands, Onvo and Firefly, are helping it target different customer segments and price points, broadening its addressable market.
Beyond top-line growth, NIO is becoming a more efficient business. Management has been implementing a more decentralized operating structure aimed at improving cost controls and capital allocation. These efforts are already showing up in improving vehicle margins. More importantly, the company reported its first-ever quarterly profit in the fourth quarter of 2025, a milestone that suggests its long-standing path toward profitability is finally becoming more visible.
NIO's battery-swapping ecosystem remains one of its biggest competitive advantages. With nearly 4,000 battery swap stations and an extensive charging network, the company offers a level of convenience that few rivals can match. NIO is also working to monetize its advanced driver assistance technologies through subscription-based services. If successful, this could create a recurring, higher-margin revenue stream and reduce the company's dependence on vehicle sales alone, providing another avenue for long-term growth.NIO currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
WeRide: It is emerging as one of the most advanced and globally diversified players in the autonomous driving industry. WeRide has already deployed autonomous vehicles in more than 40 cities across 12 countries, giving it an early lead in commercial operations. Through its WeRide One system, the company offers solutions ranging from Level 2 to Level 4 autonomy, serving mobility, public transportation, logistics and sanitation markets. This diversified approach allows WeRide to participate in multiple growth opportunities as autonomous technology gains wider adoption.
The company is also making steady progress in commercializing its technology. In China, WeRide operates Level 4 robotaxis in Shanghai through partnerships with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi, connecting major transportation hubs and popular destinations. Internationally, its Robobus service is already operating in locations such as Singapore, Paris and Riyadh, demonstrating the growing real-world use of autonomous transportation for last-mile mobility.
What sets WeRide apart is the breadth of its global footprint. The company is the only autonomous driving technology provider with permits across eight markets, including China, the United States and several countries in Europe and the Middle East. It continues to expand its European presence through projects in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Slovakia. Notably, its partnership with Uber to launch Spain's first commercial robotaxi service later this year marks another important step toward broader commercialization.
As AVs move closer to mainstream adoption, WeRide's combination of early-mover advantage, regulatory approvals and expanding commercial deployments positions it to benefit from one of the most significant technological shifts reshaping the transportation industry. WRD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Lithium Americas: The company offers investors a way to gain exposure to one of the most important materials underpinning the future of EVs. As EV adoption continues to grow, demand for lithium—which is a key component of batteries— is expected to rise steadily over the coming years.
At the center of Lithium Americas' growth story is the Thacker Pass project in Nevada, which hosts the largest known lithium resource in the United States. The project is strategically important because it can help reduce the country's reliance on imported lithium while supporting the expansion of domestic battery manufacturing. Once fully operational, Thacker Pass is expected to produce up to 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually, enough to supply batteries for roughly 800,000 electric vehicles.
The project is advancing steadily toward production. Phase 1 remains on track, with mechanical completion of the processing plant expected by late 2027 and commercial ramp-up planned through 2028. Importantly, the project has secured substantial financial and strategic support. A $2.23 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy provides funding visibility. General Motors has committed to offtake agreements covering up to 100% of Phase 1 production and a significant portion of future Phase 2 output.
The scale of Thacker Pass is particularly noteworthy. Phase 1 alone is expected to expand current U.S. lithium production capacity by roughly seven times, highlighting the project's potential impact on the domestic supply chain. Lithium Americas’ large-scale resource base, government backing and clear production roadmap position the company to benefit from rising demand for battery materials in the years ahead. LAC currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
ChargePoint: While much of the attention in the EV industry is focused on vehicle manufacturers, ChargePoint is building the infrastructure that makes widespread EV adoption possible. The company has built one of the largest EV charging ecosystems in the world, connecting drivers to more than 1.4 million public and private charging ports globally. Its managed network includes roughly 400,000 charging ports, including more than 41,000 DC fast chargers, with a growing presence across Europe.
ChargePoint continues to strengthen its competitive position through innovation and strategic partnerships. The company recently introduced Express Solo, a high-powered charging solution capable of delivering up to 600 kW to a single vehicle, helping address consumer demand for faster charging. It is also expanding into new use cases through partnerships such as its agreement with OBE Power to deploy approximately 2,500 charging ports at multifamily residential properties. In addition, ChargePoint secured one of its largest transit fleet orders to date, supplying charging solutions for Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus electrification program.
Beyond expanding its footprint, ChargePoint is increasingly focused on improving the economics of its business. Rising platform engagement is helping drive monetization opportunities, while stronger cost controls and better supply-chain execution are improving network reliability and deployment efficiency.
As EV adoption accelerates globally, ChargePoint's extensive charging network, technology leadership and growing recurring revenue opportunities position it to benefit from the long-term expansion of the electric mobility ecosystem. CHPT currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
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Top Stocks Powering the Future of Electric and Self-Driving Vehicles

(RTTNews) - Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) said the the Deputy Secretary of Defense in the U.S. has included Baidu on the Department of Defense's list of Chinese Military Companies, or the CMC List. Baidu believes there is no justification for its inclusion on such list as the company is neither a Chinese military company nor a military-civil fusion contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base.
The company noted that the CMC List is not a sanctions list. Baidu stated that the U.S. government procurement limitations tied to the list will not impact the business of the company, and the CMC List does not restrict transacting in the securities of the company.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Baidu: U.S. Government Procurement Limitations Tied To CMC List To Have No Impact On Business

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – May 28, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Alphabet GOOGL, Microsoft MSFT and Baidu BIDU.
Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:
Google's Innovative Ad Format to Boost Search Growth: What's Ahead?
Alphabet’s Search-related endeavors have received a massive push through AI integrations. The company is leading the search domain with 90.02% market share, followed by Microsoft’s Bing, with 5.14% share, Yahoo!’s 1.5%, Yandex’s 1.19%, DuckDuckGo’s 0.75% and Baidu’s 0.46%, per the latest data from StatCounter.
Alphabet has been introducing AI-powered features frequently to boost user engagement of its Search business, which has been driving advertising revenues. GOOGL is now rolling out a new generation of AI-powered advertising formats for Search, leveraging its Gemini models to make search results more conversational, personalized and commercially actionable. The company said users increasingly rely on AI Mode to research complex topics and evaluate products, with 75% of users reporting faster and more confident decisions through AI-assisted search. To capitalize on this behavioral shift, Google is testing new ad formats that integrate AI-generated explanations and contextual recommendations directly into sponsored results while maintaining clear “Sponsored” labeling.
Among the new offerings are “Conversational Discovery” ads and “Highlighted Answers.” Conversational Discovery ads allow advertisers to answer highly specific user queries with AI-generated responses tailored to the search context, such as home fragrance recommendations or lifestyle-oriented product suggestions. Highlighted Answers, meanwhile, place relevant sponsored recommendations directly within AI-generated lists, such as language-learning apps or travel services. Alphabet said Gemini independently synthesizes product information to create transparent and trustworthy explanations that accompany advertiser content, potentially improving engagement and conversion rates.
The company is also extending AI-driven advertising beyond AI Mode into broader Search experiences. New AI-powered Shopping ads will provide customized product explainers for high-consideration purchases such as appliances and electronics, helping users understand why a particular product fits their needs. Alphabet has introduced “Business Agent for Leads,” a conversational AI assistant embedded inside ads that allows consumers to interact directly with brands. The feature is aimed at industries requiring deeper customer engagement, including education and financial services.
These initiatives strengthen GOOGL’s core Search business by making ads more interactive, relevant, and integrated into the user journey, which should support higher engagement and monetization. Alphabet is leveraging Gemini to personalize recommendations, surface dynamic offers, and facilitate transactions directly within Search. The expansion of Direct Offers, native checkout integrations, and AI-assisted shopping further positions Search as both a discovery and transaction platform, reinforcing GOOGL’s competitive moat against emerging AI search rivals and alternative commerce ecosystems.
GOOGL Faces Tough Competition in the Search Domain
Microsoft is keeping no stone unturned to improve the capabilities of Bing. The company has been integrating AI into Bing thanks to its partnership with OpenAI. Copilot answers complex queries, and the launch of Bing Generative Search is improving query understanding, thereby driving user engagement. AI search is now embedded into Microsoft’s Edge browser and Windows ecosystem. These are benefiting top-line growth as Microsoft’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 Search advertising revenues, excluding traffic acquisition costs, rose 12% (9% in constant currency).
Meanwhile, Baidu has launched new AI-powered tools to support its search business. Its proprietary ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) models improve the semantic understanding of queries and enhance retrieval accuracy, especially for complex queries. Baidu released an updated version of its omni-modal foundation model ERNIE 5.1 in the first quarter of 2026 and restructured its model development organization into two dedicated teams to sharpen its application-driven AI strategy.
GOOGL’s Share Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Alphabet shares have returned 24.3% year to date (YTD), outperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 19.4%.
The GOOGL stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month price/sales of 10.29X compared with the broader sector’s 6.83X. Alphabet has a Value Score of D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $14.29 per share, up 22.6% over the past 30 days, suggesting 32.2% growth from 2025’s reported figure.
Alphabet currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Alphabet, Microsoft and Baidu

Alphabet’s GOOGL Search-related endeavors have received a massive push through AI integrations. The company is leading the search domain with 90.02% market share, followed by Microsoft’s MSFT Bing, with 5.14% share, Yahoo!’s 1.5%, Yandex’s 1.19%, DuckDuckGo’s 0.75% and Baidu’s BIDU 0.46%, per the latest data from StatCounter.
Alphabet has been introducing AI-powered features frequently to boost user engagement of its Search business, which has been driving advertising revenues. GOOGL is now rolling out a new generation of AI-powered advertising formats for Search, leveraging its Gemini models to make search results more conversational, personalized and commercially actionable. The company said users increasingly rely on AI Mode to research complex topics and evaluate products, with 75% of users reporting faster and more confident decisions through AI-assisted search. To capitalize on this behavioral shift, Google is testing new ad formats that integrate AI-generated explanations and contextual recommendations directly into sponsored results while maintaining clear “Sponsored” labeling.
Among the new offerings are “Conversational Discovery” ads and “Highlighted Answers.” Conversational Discovery ads allow advertisers to answer highly specific user queries with AI-generated responses tailored to the search context, such as home fragrance recommendations or lifestyle-oriented product suggestions. Highlighted Answers, meanwhile, place relevant sponsored recommendations directly within AI-generated lists, such as language-learning apps or travel services. Alphabet said Gemini independently synthesizes product information to create transparent and trustworthy explanations that accompany advertiser content, potentially improving engagement and conversion rates.
The company is also extending AI-driven advertising beyond AI Mode into broader Search experiences. New AI-powered Shopping ads will provide customized product explainers for high-consideration purchases such as appliances and electronics, helping users understand why a particular product fits their needs. Alphabet has introduced “Business Agent for Leads,” a conversational AI assistant embedded inside ads that allows consumers to interact directly with brands. The feature is aimed at industries requiring deeper customer engagement, including education and financial services.
These initiatives strengthen GOOGL’s core Search business by making ads more interactive, relevant, and integrated into the user journey, which should support higher engagement and monetization. Alphabet is leveraging Gemini to personalize recommendations, surface dynamic offers, and facilitate transactions directly within Search. The expansion of Direct Offers, native checkout integrations, and AI-assisted shopping further positions Search as both a discovery and transaction platform, reinforcing GOOGL’s competitive moat against emerging AI search rivals and alternative commerce ecosystems.
GOOGL Faces Tough Competition in the Search Domain
Microsoft is keeping no stone unturned to improve the capabilities of Bing. The company has been integrating AI into Bing thanks to its partnership with OpenAI. Copilot answers complex queries, and the launch of Bing Generative Search is improving query understanding, thereby driving user engagement. AI search is now embedded into Microsoft’s Edge browser and Windows ecosystem. These are benefiting top-line growth as Microsoft’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 Search advertising revenues, excluding traffic acquisition costs, rose 12% (9% in constant currency).
Meanwhile, Baidu has launched new AI-powered tools to support its search business. Its proprietary ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) models improve the semantic understanding of queries and enhance retrieval accuracy, especially for complex queries. Baidu released an updated version of its omni-modal foundation model ERNIE 5.1 in the first quarter of 2026 and restructured its model development organization into two dedicated teams to sharpen its application-driven AI strategy.
GOOGL’s Share Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Alphabet shares have returned 24.3% year to date (YTD), outperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 19.4%.
GOOGL Stock’s YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The GOOGL stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month price/sales of 10.29X compared with the broader sector’s 6.83X. Alphabet has a Value Score of D.
GOOGL Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $14.29 per share, up 22.6% over the past 30 days, suggesting 32.2% growth from 2025’s reported figure.
Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus
Alphabet currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

GOOGL's Innovative Ad Format to Boost Search Growth: What's Ahead?

We begin to wind down Q1 earnings season this week. Key companies are scheduled to report — especially the most “magnificent” of the “Mag 7,” NVIDIA NVDA, along with Home Depot HD, Target TGT and Walmart WMT — but overall reporting volume is taking a step down after the past two weeks of 1000+ companies having reported per week.
We do see some key economic reports this week, as well, although this too winds down a tad. Pending Home Sales on Tuesday — the same day as Home Depot’s earnings report — join Housing Starts and Building Permits later in the week for a look at the still-challenged housing market. Only three of the past 12 months saw positive pending home sales growth.
Oil Prices Stay Above $100/bbl on Strait Stalemate
By far the biggest concern facing the stock market to begin a new week of trading is the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, obstructing all but a few oil tanker passages per day, and helping decrease oil reserve levels around the world while gasoline prices continue creeping ever pricier. We’re currently at $103 per barrel (/bbl) on the WTI and $107/bbl on Brent crude, but more importantly, we appear to be at an impasse with the country of Iran, which has clamped down on the Strait in the wake of U.S. and Israel bombings on the country, which started over 11 weeks ago.
President Trump’s visit to China last week looks to have pushed the needle not at all on this burgeoning oil crisis; China is one of the few countries so far allowed to ship oil out of the Persian Gulf, but the U.S. has clearly not won similar considerations. And as we embark on a new summer driving season with Memorial Day Weekend coming up, gasoline and jet fuel demand only look to increase domestically, which would naturally push prices at the pump higher.
The choices currently at hand appear to be widely disparate, and equally unpopular: 1) bring U.S. troops on the ground to march on Tehran and overtake the current Iranian regime, which would cost blood and treasure that would far outweigh what we saw in the nine-year war with Iraq, or 2) make a deal with the Iranian government, which would include major reparations and still leave unclear whether the country would continue to develop uranium for a nuclear arsenal. But to do nothing would be to see oil and other petroleum product shortages to further undesirable levels — and only six months (and counting) from U.S. midterm elections.
This all said, pre-markets have reversed course from early-morning lows, and are now in positive territory across major indexes. This followed the worst trading day on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Friday since March, down between -1% (Dow) and -1.55% (Nasdaq). At this hour, the S&P 500 is back above 7400, the Dow back above 49,600, the Nasdaq once again near 29,400 and the small-cap Russell 2000 back above 2800. Discussions about a truce in the Strait add positivity to bargain-hunting early birds in Monday’s market.
BIDU Misses Q1 Earnings, Shares Climb on AI Revenues
Chinese Internet giant Baidu BIDU missed already-lowered earnings estimates in its Q1 report this morning, -6.42% to $1.75 per share, but shares are up +4.8% on the news. The company’s revenue growth on its burgeoning AI business strength was a positive development; we may expect Baidu to shed its Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and Value-Growth-Momentum grade of “F.”
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Strait Crisis Continues

Monday, May 18th, 2026
We begin to wind down Q1 earnings season this week. Key companies are scheduled to report — especially the most “magnificent” of the “Mag 7,” NVIDIA NVDA, along with Home Depot HD, Target TGT and Walmart WMT — but overall reporting volume is taking a step down after the past two weeks of 1000+ companies having reported per week.
We do see some key economic reports this week, as well, although this too winds down a tad. Pending Home Sales on Tuesday — the same day as Home Depot’s earnings report — join Housing Starts and Building Permits later in the week for a look at the still-challenged housing market. Only three of the past 12 months saw positive pending home sales growth.
Oil Prices Stay Above $100/bbl on Strait Stalemate
By far the biggest concern facing the stock market to begin a new week of trading is the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, obstructing all but a few oil tanker passages per day, and helping decrease oil reserve levels around the world while gasoline prices continue creeping ever pricier. We’re currently at $103 per barrel (/bbl) on the WTI and $107/bbl on Brent crude, but more importantly, we appear to be at an impasse with the country of Iran, which has clamped down on the Strait in the wake of U.S. and Israel bombings on the country, which started over 11 weeks ago.
President Trump’s visit to China last week looks to have pushed the needle not at all on this burgeoning oil crisis; China is one of the few countries so far allowed to ship oil out of the Persian Gulf, but the U.S. has clearly not won similar considerations. And as we embark on a new summer driving season with Memorial Day Weekend coming up, gasoline and jet fuel demand only look to increase domestically, which would naturally push prices at the pump higher.
The choices currently at hand appear to be widely disparate, and equally unpopular: 1) bring U.S. troops on the ground to march on Tehran and overtake the current Iranian regime, which would cost blood and treasure that would far outweigh what we saw in the nine-year war with Iraq, or 2) make a deal with the Iranian government, which would include major reparations and still leave unclear whether the country would continue to develop uranium for a nuclear arsenal. But to do nothing would be to see oil and other petroleum product shortages to further undesirable levels — and only six months (and counting) from U.S. midterm elections.
This all said, pre-markets have reversed course from early-morning lows, and are now in positive territory across major indexes. This followed the worst trading day on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Friday since March, down between -1% (Dow) and -1.55% (Nasdaq). At this hour, the S&P 500 is back above 7400, the Dow back above 49,600, the Nasdaq once again near 29,400 and the small-cap Russell 2000 back above 2800. Discussions about a truce in the Strait add positivity to bargain-hunting early birds in Monday’s market.
BIDU Misses Q1 Earnings, Shares Climb on AI Revenues
Chinese Internet giant Baidu BIDU missed already-lowered earnings estimates in its Q1 report this morning, -6.42% to $1.75 per share, but shares are up +4.8% on the news. The company’s revenue growth on its burgeoning AI business strength was a positive development; we may expect Baidu to shed its Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and Value-Growth-Momentum grade of “F.”
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NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:
Eni E is among the leading integrated energy players in the world. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised almost 15.2% downward over the last 60 days.
Caleres CAL is a footwear retailer and wholesaler. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 13.2% downward over the last 60 days.
CPI Card Group PMTS is engaged in financial card production and related services under the VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover payment brands. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 5.7% downward over the last 60 days.
View the entire Zacks Rank #5 List.
Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock
It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

New Strong Sell Stocks for May 12th

Key Points
Uber's first-quarter gross bookings grew 25% year over year.
Autonomous vehicle trips on Uber's platform grew more than tenfold year over year.
Uber expects to be live with autonomous vehicles in up to 15 cities by year-end.
Shares of Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) jumped about 8% on Wednesday following the ride-hailing giant's first-quarter results. The stock has had a rough run in 2026, trading well below its October 2025 high. But the latest earnings report, featuring accelerating mobility gross bookings growth and a 44% jump in non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share, reignited the bull case.
Even better, second-quarter guidance points to gross bookings growth of 18% to 22% year over year on a constant-currency basis. That's a robust pace for a company already operating at enormous scale.
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So, with shares well off their highs and the underlying business looking like it can do no wrong, is it time to buy?
Impressive business momentum
Uber's first-quarter revenue rose 14% year over year to more than $13 billion. But its underlying business momentum is actually stronger than this, as an accounting change to certain business models trimmed reported revenue growth by about 9 percentage points.
A better read on demand is gross bookings, which climbed 25% (21% on a constant-currency basis) to $53.7 billion. This marks the third consecutive quarter of gross bookings growth above 21% on a constant-currency basis -- an impressive achievement for a company that already booked $193.5 billion across 2025. And growth was driven by more than one part of Uber's business. Mobility's (ride sharing) growth rate accelerated, and delivery grew 23% on a constant-currency gross bookings basis. Further, freight returned to growth for the first time in nearly two years.
Additionally, Uber's profitability is scaling faster than the top line. Its adjusted operating income rose 42% year over year to $1.9 billion, and adjusted earnings per share jumped 44%. And free cash flow of $2.3 billion in a single quarter highlights just how cash-generative the platform has become.
Uber's membership program is becoming a bigger part of the story, too. The company crossed 50 million Uber One members in April, with members now driving half of mobility and delivery gross bookings.
There may also be a meaningful tailwind that hasn't fully shown up yet. Insurance costs in U.S. mobility are finally turning lower, and Uber is reinvesting those savings into pricing.
"This will be the first year since COVID where we expect to see good leverage on our insurance cost line for the U.S. mobility business," chief financial officer Balaji Krishnamurthy said during Uber's first-quarter earnings call.
A capital-light autonomy strategy
The bigger long-term debate, of course, continues to center on autonomous vehicles. And here, the first-quarter update offered both encouragement and a reminder of what could go wrong.
Autonomous mobility trips on the platform grew more than tenfold year over year. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber expects to be live with autonomous vehicles in up to 15 cities by year-end, with roughly half of those international. The strategy is to stay capital-light. Rather than building its own self-driving stack, the company is integrating partners such as Alphabet's Waymo, Amazon's Zoox, Wayve, Waabi, Pony, WeRide, and Baidu onto its app, while selling tools like custom insurance and fleet operations to those partners through a new Uber Autonomous Solutions offering.
For now, autonomous ride-sharing competition has not visibly dented the core business.
"And then if you look at kind of markets where Waymo has been launching [...] our category position in San Francisco and L.A. is higher today than it was 6 months ago," Khosrowshahi said on the first-quarter earnings call. He also pushed back on a winner-take-all framing, calling autonomous mobility "another $1 trillion [total addressable market]."
Even so, the autonomous picture isn't all rosy.
Earlier this year, Tesla announced plans for an aggressive expansion of its own Robotaxi service to seven additional U.S. cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, and Las Vegas. Tesla, by contrast, owns both the vehicle and the software in its Robotaxi push while also building out the network in-house. That vertical integration could pressure Uber's economics over time if Tesla's service scales rapidly. And Uber's near-total dependence on third parties for autonomous hardware and software cuts both ways. It keeps capital outlays low, but it tethers Uber's autonomous future to the timelines, safety records, and commercial willingness of its partners.
With a forward price-to-earnings ratio of about 22, Uber stock looks reasonably priced for a business growing gross bookings above 20% and producing nearly $10 billion in annual free cash flow. And after a roughly 25% pullback from last year's high, the risk-reward seems more attractive than it has in some time.
But this is also a high-risk stock. The shift from human-driven to autonomous ride-hailing is still in early innings, and Uber's capital-light approach could prove either brilliant or fragile, depending on how partners and competitors evolve. Investors buying today are accepting genuine uncertainty about how the next several years play out.
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Daniel Sparks has clients with positions in Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Baidu, Tesla, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is It Finally Time to Buy Uber Stock?

Key Points
Nvidia's market share in China has cratered over the past few years.
The company has performed well despite that issue and should do so again in its first quarter.
Not much has gone wrong for Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) over the past three years. The company's shares have soared thanks to its dominance in the market for artificial intelligence (AI) chips. However, there have been some headwinds for the tech leader. Last year, the U.S. government restricted exports of some of Nvidia's products to China, with the Chinese government also going after the company.
These issues have taken a toll on Nvidia's operations in China, as CEO Jensen Huang recently noted. Let's see what he said and what it means for investors.
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Hitting rock bottom in China
With Nvidia's operations in China facing obstacles, local chipmakers -- who might not have been able to compete as well with theglobal marketleader without these regulatory setbacks -- took advantage. Huawei has taken the lead in the country, with other companies, such as Alibaba and Baidu (through subsidiaries), also being notable players in the field. Where does Nvidia now rank in all this? According to Huang, it isn't even on the map. Here's what he recently said in an interview regarding Nvidia's market share in the country: "Today, in China, we have now dropped to zero."
This is especially striking since the company once held more than a 90% market share in the country. Nvidia does not expect any revenue from China in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2027, which ended on April 2026 and whose results are due on May 20.
What it means for investors
Nvidia has performed well over the past 12 months despite the issues it has faced in China. The stock has climbed 74% over the trailing-12-month period. Here's one key reason why: The market for AI chips in the U.S. is much larger than the Chinese one. Consider that last year, Alibaba, one of China's largest cloud players, said it would spend about $52 billion in capex over the next three years, largely to support its AI-related ambitions.
Major hyperscalers in the U.S. are easily eclipsing that. For instance, Microsoft said it would spend $190 billion in capex during the calendar year 2026 alone. Nvidia's financial results also speak for themselves. During the company's fiscal year 2026, ending on Jan. 25, revenue soared 65% year over year to $215.9 billion. The company's earnings per share came in at $4.90, 67% higher than the year-ago period.
There is more where that came from. Nvidia projected $78 billion in revenue (at the midpoint) for its upcoming first quarter, even without revenue from China. That would represent a year-over-year increase of almost 77%. And at the pace at which tech giants are spending, and the fact that the company continues to innovate, Nvidia looks likely to maintain a torrid pace for a while.
So, even though it isn't great news that Nvidia's business in China has crawled to a halt, the chipmaker can continue performing well for a long time even without strong operations in the country.
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Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Baidu, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Jensen Huang Delivers a China Blow to Nvidia Shareholders. The Next Quarter May Ease the Pain.

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:
ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. ARR is a mortgage real estate investment trust. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 7.4% downward over the last 60 days.
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ASTS is a satellite communications company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 12.1% downward over the last 60 days.
Air China Limited AIRYY is an air transport company.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 78.3% downward over the last 60 days.
View the entire Zacks Rank #5 List.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Baidu, Inc.

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