In This Article:
- By GF Value
The stock of Baidu (NAS:BIDU, 30-year Financials) is believed to be significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $204.7 per share and the market cap of $68.7 billion, Baidu stock appears to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Baidu is shown in the chart below.
Because Baidu is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 78.2% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 15.61% annually over the next three to five years.
Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.
Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. Baidu has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.96, which is worse than 66% of the companies in Interactive Media industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Baidu at 6 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Baidu is fair. This is the debt and cash of Baidu over the past years:
Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Baidu has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $15.7 billion and earnings of $9.602 a share. Its operating margin is 14.13%, which ranks better than 68% of the companies in Interactive Media industry. Overall, the profitability of Baidu is ranked 9 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Baidu over the past years: