An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
VERDICT
The label
Distribution
read at $105.29
Baidu, Inc. holds its Distribution at $105.29.
PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Distribution label
INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
edge confirmed
edge broken
edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-07-27
Phase
Distribution · caution
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 1 days
Price
$105.29
Valuation
N/A trailing · 12.26 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL
Beta
0.56
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Our framework reads AVOID — it trades at roughly a 21% discount to our $127.22 fair value, weak competitive moat.
Read at
$105.29
N/A P/E · 12.26 fwd
Our fair value
$127.22
21% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$177.18
+68% to current
Target low $92.73Analyst target rangeTarget high $274.54
▲ current $105.29 · | average target
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Current
$105.29
you are here
Conservative
$83.45
-21%
Analyst avg
$177.18
+68%
Our fair value
$127.22
+21%
Analyst high
$274.54
+161%
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Revenue growth
-1.20%
Profit margin
1.02%
Debt to equity
32.20
Analyst consensus
Buy · 33 covering
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
SCREEN
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:
The common standard· AAOIFI Used by most halal investing apps✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard· asset-based The one Titan applies✗ DOES NOT PASS
Why it fails. The problem is its debt ratio. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.
Business activityIts core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.Pass
Debt loadInterest-bearing debt is 210.8% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.Fail
Interest-bearing cashInterest-bearing cash and securities are 250.3% of assets, above the one-third limit.Fail
ReceivablesMoney owed to the company is 0.0% of assets, under the 49% limit.Pass
Revenue purityOnly 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line.Pass
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
PLAIN
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Baidu stumbles despite the analyst love
Baidu runs the search engine that still shapes daily life for hundreds of millions in China. Yet the business is shrinking, with revenue down 1 percent and profit margins squeezed to just 1 percent. A weak moat and zero return on equity tell the real story behind the $107 share price.
We pass because the ethical screen flags excessive debt, and the numbers back that caution. Forward earnings sit at 12.4 times, but growth has vanished and returns have collapsed. Analysts may cluster around a $177 target, yet the margin of safety to our $127 fair value does not outweigh the structural weaknesses.
The low multiple looks tempting only until peak earnings and leverage turn it into a trap. Currency swings and regulatory risk add further pressure that cheap valuation alone cannot offset. Analysis, not advice.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADE
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
BIDU trades on Nasdaq. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 11.9% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 35%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 28%. The street (33 analysts) rates it strong buy, with a mean price target of $180. Entered 2026-07-23 · Markup
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
2026-07-23Markup$107.24-11.9%Entry 4
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 11.9% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 35%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 28%. The street (33 analysts) rates it strong buy, with a mean price target of $180.
2026-07-18Markup$121.66+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 35%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 28%. The street (33 analysts) rates it strong buy, with a mean price target of $180.
2026-07-03Markup$121.66+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Markup$121.66Entry 1
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
RETURNS
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
Period
Price then
Price return
Divs per share
$1,000 became
Total return
1 month
$145.78
-18.9%
·
$811
-18.9%
2 months
$108.41
+9.1%
·
$1,091
+9.1%
3 months
$123.16
-4.0%
·
$960
-4.0%
6 months
$128.31
-7.9%
·
$921
-7.9%
1 year
$87.49
+35.1%
·
$1,351
+35.1%
2 years
$95.48
+23.8%
·
$1,238
+23.8%
3 years
$135.20
-12.6%
·
$874
-12.6%
5 years
$187.69
-37.0%
·
$630
-37.0%
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
SEALED
This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever BIDU does next, these words stay.
Baidu, Inc. · BIDU · Distribution · $105.29
Recorded 2026-07-27 · before the outcome · scored mechanically
