Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Baidu Group-SW (9888.HK) with a target price of 128.7 HKD, compared to the current price of 87.60 HKD [4]. Core Insights - Baidu Group's total revenue for Q1 2025 is expected to decline by 1.5% year-on-year to 31.04 billion RMB, while core revenue is projected to grow by 1.4% to 24.14 billion RMB. The core non-GAAP operating profit is anticipated to be 4.6 billion RMB, a decrease of 17.6% year-on-year, with an operating margin of 19.1% [1][2]. - The online marketing business is expected to face continued pressure, with a projected 6.0% decline in online marketing services revenue to 15.98 billion RMB in Q1 2025. However, improvements are anticipated in the first half of 2025 as macroeconomic conditions recover [1][2]. - Non-online marketing revenue is expected to grow significantly, driven by AI and cloud services, with a projected 20.1% year-on-year increase to 8.16 billion RMB in Q1 2025 [1][2]. Summary by Sections Online Marketing Business - The online marketing services revenue is projected to decline by 6.0% to 15.98 billion RMB in Q1 2025, primarily due to insufficient recovery in macroeconomic conditions and weak demand from advertisers [1]. - Baidu is focusing on enhancing AI content quality in search, which is expected to improve user experience and drive commercial growth in the medium term [1]. Non-Online Marketing Business - The non-online marketing business is expected to see a robust growth of 20.1% year-on-year, reaching 8.16 billion RMB in Q1 2025, driven by strong demand for AI-related cloud services [1][2]. - Baidu's cloud business is anticipated to maintain rapid growth, with significant bidding activity in the AI market, positioning it as a leader among domestic large model vendors [1][2]. Financial Forecasts - The report forecasts a decline in non-GAAP net profit for 2025 to 25.1 billion RMB, reflecting a decrease of 7.05% year-on-year. The target price remains at 128.7 HKD, with a valuation multiple of 10.0x PE for advertising and cloud services [2][3][4].
百度集团-SW(09888):25Q1业绩前瞻:云服务承担业绩动力,期待后续AI改造提振在线营销