Connect with us

Technology

Baidu Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

Published

on

BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)), (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

“Baidu Core’s flattish third quarter top line reflected the ongoing weakness in our online marketing business, offset by the growth of our AI Cloud business. Our strong AI capabilities are gaining broader market recognition, as evidenced by increasing adoption of ERNIE. In intelligent driving, Apollo Go continues to lead the global autonomous ride-hailing market, hitting another milestone with our sixth-generation autonomous vehicle now operating on public roads across multiple cities in China,” said Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu. “Despite the near-term pressures, we remain steadfast in our AI-focused strategy and are confident in our long-term trajectory. As we further scale AI, we are emboldened to find how it can drive innovations and create value for consumers, enterprises and society at large.”

“Our relentless focus on cost control helped support our third quarter results. Baidu Core’s operating margins remained stable as we managed to further optimize costs and realize more cost efficiencies between business units,” said Junjie He, Interim CFO of Baidu. “AI Cloud continued to show healthy and sustainable development in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Apollo Go continued to make operational strides, underpinning our confidence in the validity of the fully autonomous ride hailing business model.”

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights [1]

Baidu, Inc.

(In millions except per ADS, unaudited)

Q3

Q2

Q3

2023

2024

2024

YOY

QOQ

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

Total revenues 

34,447

33,931

33,557

4,782

(3 %)

(1 %)

Operating income

6,274

5,944

5,925

844

(6 %)

(0 %)

Operating income (non-GAAP)  [2]

7,596

7,500

7,014

999

(8 %)

(6 %)

Net income to Baidu

6,681

5,488

7,632

1,088

14 %

39 %

Net income to Baidu (non-GAAP) [2]

7,267

7,396

5,886

839

(19 %)

(20 %)

Diluted earnings per ADS

18.22

15.01

21.60

3.08

19 %

44 %

Diluted earnings per ADS (non-GAAP) [2]

20.40

21.02

16.60

2.37

(19 %)

(21 %)

Adjusted EBITDA [2]

9,505

9,147

8,733

1,244

(8 %)

(5 %)

Adjusted EBITDA margin

28 %

27 %

26 %

26 %

Baidu Core

(In millions, unaudited)

Q3

Q2

Q3

2023

2024

2024

YOY

QOQ

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

Total revenues 

26,572

26,687

26,524

3,780

(0 %)

(1 %)

Operating income

5,498

5,608

5,694

811

4 %

2 %

Operating income (non-GAAP) [2]

6,672

7,005

6,652

948

(0 %)

(5 %)

Net income to Baidu Core

6,436

5,462

7,536

1,074

17 %

38 %

Net income to Baidu Core (non-GAAP) [2]

6,956

7,290

5,676

809

(18 %)

(22 %)

Adjusted EBITDA [2]

8,513

8,617

8,336

1,188

(2 %)

(3 %)

Adjusted EBITDA margin

32 %

32 %

31 %

31 %

[1] Unless otherwise noted, RMB to USD was converted at an exchange rate of RMB7.0176 as of September 30, 2024, as set forth in the H.10

statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Translations are provided solely for the convenience of the reader.

[2] Non-GAAP measures are defined in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section (see also “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures” for more details).

Operational Highlights 

Corporate

In October 2024, Baidu was upgraded from the prior ‘BBB’ rating to an ‘A’ rating by MSCI ESG Research.Baidu returned US$161 million to shareholders since early Q3 2024, bringing the cumulative repurchase to US$1.4 billion under the 2023 share repurchase program.

AI Cloud

PaddlePaddle and ERNIE developer community grew to 18.1 million in November 2024.In November 2024, ERNIE handled approximately 1.5 billion API calls daily, a significant jump from 600 million in August.In the third quarter of 2024, Baidu expanded the ERNIE family with two enhanced lightweight models, Speed Pro and Lite Pro.Baidu AI Cloud was ranked the No.1 AI cloud provider for the fifth consecutive year, according to IDC’s 2023 report on China’s AI public cloud market, issued in August 2024.

Intelligent Driving

Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, provided 988K rides in the third quarter of 2024, up 20% year over year. As of October 28, 2024, the cumulative rides provided to the public by Apollo Go surpassed 8 million.During the third quarter of 2024, rides provided by Apollo Go’s fully driverless vehicles accounted for over 70% of total rides nationwide. The proportion of fully driverless rides further increased to 80% in October 2024.Our sixth generation autonomous vehicle, the RT6, is now operating on public roads in multiple cities in China.

Mobile Ecosystem

In September 2024, Baidu App’s MAUs reached 704 million, up 6% year over year.Managed Page accounted for 51% of Baidu Core’s online marketing revenue in the third quarter of 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results 

Total revenues were RMB33.6 billion ($4.78 billion), decreasing 3% year over year.

Revenue from Baidu Core was RMB26.5 billion ($3.78 billion), which was basically flat from last year; online marketing revenue was RMB18.8 billion ($2.68 billion), decreasing 4% year over year, and non-online marketing revenue was RMB7.7 billion ($1.10 billion), up 12% year over year, mainly driven by AI Cloud business.Revenue from iQIYI was RMB7.2 billion ($1.03 billion), decreasing 10% year over year.

Cost of revenues was RMB16.4 billion ($2.34 billion), increasing 1% year over year, primarily due to an increase in traffic acquisition costs and costs related to AI Cloud business, partially offset by a decrease in personnel-related expenses and cost of goods sold.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB5.9 billion ($836 million), increasing 2% year over year, primarily due to an increase in channel spending and promotional marketing expenses, partially offset by a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Research and development expenses were RMB5.4 billion ($765 million), decreasing 12% year over year, primarily due to a decrease in personnel-related expenses.

Operating income was RMB5.9 billion ($844 million). Baidu Core operating income was RMB5.7 billion ($811 million), and Baidu Core operating margin was 21%. Non-GAAP operating income was RMB7.0 billion ($999 million). Non-GAAP Baidu Core operating income was RMB6.7 billion ($948 million), and non-GAAP Baidu Core operating margin was 25%.

Total other income, net was RMB2.7 billion ($381 million), increasing 40% year over year, primarily due to an increase in fair value gain from long-term investments and disposal gain, partially offset by an increase in net foreign exchange loss arising from exchange rate fluctuation between Renminbi and U.S. dollar.

Income tax expense was RMB814 million ($116 million), compared to RMB1.3 billion in the same period last year.

Net income attributable to Baidu was RMB7.6 billion ($1.09 billion), and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB21.60 ($3.08). Net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB7.5 billion ($1.07 billion), and net margin for Baidu Core was 28%. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu was RMB5.9 billion ($839 million). Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB16.60 ($2.37). Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu Core was RMB5.7 billion ($809 million), and non-GAAP net margin for Baidu Core was 21%.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB8.7 billion ($1.24 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin was 26%. Adjusted EBITDA for Baidu Core was RMB8.3 billion ($1.19 billion) and adjusted EBITDA margin for Baidu Core was 31%.

As of September 30, 2024, cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB144.5 billion ($20.59 billion), and cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments excluding iQIYI were RMB140.3 billion ($19.99 billion). Free cash flow was RMB2.6 billion ($376 million), and free cash flow excluding iQIYI was RMB2.4 billion ($342 million).

Conference Call Information

Baidu’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 7.30 AM on November 21, 2024, U.S. Eastern Time (8.30 PM on November 21, 2024, Beijing Time).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the link provided below. It will automatically direct you to the registration page of “Baidu Inc. Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call”. Please follow the steps to enter your registration details, then click “Register”. Upon registering, you will then be provided with the dial-in number, the passcode, and your unique access PIN. This information will also be emailed to you as a calendar invite.

For pre-registration, please click: 
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10043066-56ncpy.html

In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial-in number(s), the passcode and unique access PIN) provided in the calendar invite that you have received following your pre-registration.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at https://ir.baidu.com.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on NASDAQ under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888”. One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, Baidu’s and other parties’ strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Baidu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Baidu’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Baidu’s growth strategies; its future business development, including development of new products and services; its ability to attract and retain users and customers; competition in the Chinese Internet search and newsfeed market; competition for online marketing customers; changes in the Company’s revenues and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of its revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration, including those relating to intellectual property rights; the expected growth of the Chinese-language Internet search and newsfeed market and the number of Internet and broadband users in China; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Internet and Internet search providers, and general economic conditions in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Baidu does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Baidu undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement Baidu’s consolidated financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, Baidu uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu, non-GAAP net margin, non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and free cash flow. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Baidu believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of its recurring core business operating results, such as operating performance excluding non-cash charges or non-operating in nature. The Company believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to Baidu’s historical performance and liquidity. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude certain items that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant component in the Company’s results of operations. These non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company’s data.

Non-GAAP operating income represents operating income excluding share-based compensation expenses, and amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations.

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu represents net income attributable to Baidu excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations, disposal gain (loss), impairment of long-term investments, and fair value gain (loss) of long-term investments, adjusted for related income tax effects. Baidu’s share of equity method investments for these non-GAAP reconciling items, amortization and impairment of intangible assets not on the investees’ books, accretion of their redeemable non-controlling interests, and the gain or loss associated with the issuance of shares by the investees at a price higher or lower than the carrying value per share, adjusted for related income tax effects, are also excluded.

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS represents diluted earnings per ADS calculated by dividing non-GAAP net income attributable to Baidu, by the weighted average number of ordinary shares expressed in ADS. Adjusted EBITDA represents operating income excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations, and share-based compensation expenses.

For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the tables captioned “Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measure.”

 

Baidu, Inc. 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of  Income 

(In millions except for per share (or ADS) information, unaudited)

Three Months Ended

September 30,

June 30,

September 30,

September 30,

2023

2024

2024

2024

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$(2)

Revenues:

Online marketing services

21,346

20,625

20,108

2,865

Others

13,101

13,306

13,449

1,917

Total revenues 

34,447

33,931

33,557

4,782

Costs and expenses:

Cost of revenues(1)

16,294

16,398

16,399

2,337

Selling, general and administrative(1)

5,778

5,700

5,867

836

Research and development(1)

6,101

5,889

5,366

765

Total costs and expenses

28,173

27,987

27,632

3,938

Operating income

6,274

5,944

5,925

844

Other income:

Interest income

2,082

1,993

1,877

267

Interest expense

(853)

(742)

(673)

(96)

Foreign exchange (loss) gain, net

(26)

93

(1,096)

(156)

Share of (losses) earnings from equity method investments 

(398)

(119)

32

5

Others, net

1,100

(454)

2,535

361

Total other income, net

1,905

771

2,675

381

Income before income taxes

8,179

6,715

8,600

1,225

Income tax expense

1,282

1,131

814

116

Net income 

6,897

5,584

7,786

1,109

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

216

96

154

21

Net income attributable to Baidu

6,681

5,488

7,632

1,088

Earnings per ADS (1 ADS representing 8 Class A ordinary shares):

 -Basic

18.45

15.11

21.93

3.13

 -Diluted

18.22

15.01

21.60

3.08

Earnings per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares:

 -Basic

2.31

1.89

2.74

0.39

 -Diluted

2.28

1.88

2.70

0.38

Weighted average number of Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding (in millions):

 -Basic 

2,814

2,796

2,785

2,785

 -Diluted

2,846

2,804

2,789

2,789

(1)  Includes share-based compensation expenses as follows:

 Cost of revenues 

139

146

104

15

 Selling, general and administrative 

358

385

328

47

 Research and development 

778

981

612

87

 Total share-based compensation expenses 

1,275

1,512

1,044

149

(2)  All translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of

September 30, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

 

Baidu, Inc. 

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In millions, unaudited)

December 31,

September 30,

September 30,

2023

2024

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

25,231

28,682

4,087

Restricted cash

11,503

11,665

1,662

Short-term investments, net

168,670

104,129

14,838

Accounts receivable, net

10,848

9,848

1,403

Amounts due from related parties

1,424

1,379

197

Other current assets, net

12,579

16,415

2,339

Total current assets

230,255

172,118

24,526

Non-current assets:

Fixed assets, net

27,960

29,696

4,232

Licensed copyrights, net

6,967

6,862

978

Produced content, net

13,377

14,313

2,040

Intangible assets, net

881

749

107

Goodwill

22,586

22,586

3,218

Long-term investments, net

47,957

44,637

6,361

Long-term time deposits and held-to-maturity investments

24,666

88,547

12,618

Amounts due from related parties

195

120

17

Deferred tax assets, net

2,100

2,852

406

Operating lease right-of-use assets

10,851

10,693

1,524

Other non-current assets

18,964

24,143

3,440

Total non-current assets

176,504

245,198

34,941

Total assets

406,759

417,316

59,467

LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Short-term loans

10,257

11,969

1,706

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

37,717

39,000

5,557

Customer deposits and deferred revenue

14,627

14,310

2,039

Deferred income

306

300

43

Long-term loans, current portion

2

37

5

Convertible senior notes, current portion

2,802

17

2

Notes payable, current portion

6,029

7,714

1,099

Amounts due to related parties

1,603

1,959

279

Operating lease liabilities

3,108

3,123

445

Total current liabilities

76,451

78,429

11,175

Non-current liabilities:

Deferred income

200

265

38

Deferred revenue

481

532

76

Amounts due to related parties

77

61

9

Long-term loans

14,223

14,487

2,064

Notes payable

34,990

26,911

3,835

Convertible senior notes

8,144

8,187

1,167

Deferred tax liabilities

2,725

2,885

411

Operating lease liabilities

5,040

4,911

700

Other non-current liabilities

1,820

1,457

208

Total non-current liabilities

67,700

59,696

8,508

Total liabilities

144,151

138,125

19,683

Redeemable noncontrolling interests

9,465

9,312

1,327

Equity

Total Baidu shareholders’ equity

243,626

259,649

36,999

Noncontrolling interests

9,517

10,230

1,458

Total equity

253,143

269,879

38,457

Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity

406,759

417,316

59,467

 

 

Baidu, Inc. 

Selected Information

(In millions, unaudited)

Three months ended
September 30, 2023 (RMB)

Three months ended
June 30, 2024 (RMB)

Three months ended
September 30, 2024 (RMB)

Three months ended
September 30, 2024 (US$)

Baidu
Core

iQIYI

Elim &
adj(2)

Baidu,
Inc.

Baidu
Core

iQIYI

Elim &
adj(2)

Baidu,
Inc.

Baidu
Core

iQIYI

Elim &

adj(2)

Baidu,

Inc.

Baidu

Core

iQIYI

Elim &

adj(2)

Baidu,

Inc.

Total revenues 

26,572

8,015

(140)

34,447

26,687

7,439

(195)

33,931

26,524

7,246

(213)

33,557

3,780

1,032

(30)

4,782

  YOY

(0 %)

(10 %)

(3 %)

  QOQ

(1 %)

(3 %)

(1 %)

Costs and expenses: 

  Cost of revenues (1)

10,610

5,840

(156)

16,294

10,888

5,678

(168)

16,398

10,923

5,650

(174)

16,399

1,557

805

(25)

2,337

  Selling, general and administrative (1)

4,810

981

(13)

5,778

4,751

970

(21)

5,700

4,990

908

(31)

5,867

711

129

(4)

836

  Research and development (1)

5,654

447

6,101

5,440

449

5,889

4,917

449

5,366

701

64

765

Total costs and expenses 

21,074

7,268

(169)

28,173

21,079

7,097

(189)

27,987

20,830

7,007

(205)

27,632

2,969

998

(29)

3,938

  YOY 

  Cost of revenues 

3 %

(3 %)

1 %

  Selling, general and administrative 

4 %

(7 %)

2 %

  Research and development 

(13 %)

0 %

(12 %)

  Costs and expenses

(1 %)

(4 %)

(2 %)

Operating income (loss)

5,498

747

29

6,274

5,608

342

(6)

5,944

5,694

239

(8)

5,925

811

34

(1)

844

  YOY

4 %

(68 %)

(6 %)

  QOQ

2 %

(30 %)

(0 %)

Operating margin 

21 %

9 %

18 %

21 %

5 %

18 %

21 %

3 %

18 %

  Add: total other income (loss), net

2,159

(254)

1,905

1,011

(240)

771

2,667

8

2,675

380

1

381

  Less: income tax expense

1,272

10

1,282

1,105

26

1,131

803

11

814

114

2

116

  Less: net (loss) income attributable to NCI

(51)

7

260(3)

216

52

7

37(3)

96

22

7

125(3)

154

3

18(3)

21

Net income (loss) attributable to Baidu

6,436

476

(231)

6,681

5,462

69

(43)

5,488

7,536

229

(133)

7,632

1,074

33

(19)

1,088

  YOY

17 %

(52 %)

14 %

  QOQ

38 %

232 %

39 %

Net margin 

24 %

6 %

19 %

20 %

1 %

16 %

28 %

3 %

23 %

Non-GAAP financial measures:

Operating income (non-GAAP)

6,672

895

7,596

7,005

501

7,500

6,652

370

7,014

948

52

999

  YOY

(0 %)

(59 %)

(8 %)

  QOQ

(5 %)

(26 %)

(6 %)

Operating margin (non-GAAP)

25 %

11 %

22 %

26 %

7 %

22 %

25 %

5 %

21 %

Net income attributable to Baidu (non-

GAAP)

6,956

622

7,267

7,290

247

7,396

5,676

480

5,886

809

68

839

  YOY

(18 %)

(23 %)

(19 %)

  QOQ

(22 %)

94 %

(20 %)

Net margin (non-GAAP)

26 %

8 %

21 %

27 %

3 %

22 %

21 %

7 %

18 %

Adjusted EBITDA

8,513

963

9,505

8,617

536

9,147

8,336

405

8,733

1,188

57

1,244

  YOY

(2 %)

(58 %)

(8 %)

  QOQ

(3 %)

(24 %)

(5 %)

Adjusted EBITDA margin 

32 %

12 %

28 %

32 %

7 %

27 %

31 %

6 %

26 %

(1)  Includes share-based compensation as follows:

 Cost of revenues 

107

32

139

117

29

146

73

31

104

11

4

15

 Selling, general and administrative 

290

68

358

292

93

385

268

60

328

38

9

47

 Research and development 

732

46

778

945

36

981

574

38

612

82

5

87

 Total share-based compensation 

1,129

146

1,275

1,354

158

1,512

915

129

1,044

131

18

149

 (2) Relates to intersegment eliminations and adjustments 

 (3) Relates to the net income attributable to iQIYI noncontrolling interests 

 

 

Baidu, Inc. 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In millions,unaudited)

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

September 30, 2023 (RMB)

June 30, 2024 (RMB)

September 30, 2024 (RMB)

September 30, 2024 (US$)

 Baidu

excl. iQIYI

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

 Baidu

excl. 

iQIYI

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

 Baidu

excl. iQIYI

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

 Baidu

excl. 

iQIYI

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

Net cash provided by operating activities

8,694

831

9,525

7,970

409

8,379

4,036

243

4,279

575

35

610

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities 

(11,345)

(55)

(11,400)

13,824

337

14,161

(12,300)

(1,663)

(13,963)

(1,753)

(237)

(1,990)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

(5,253)

269

(4,984)

(9,946)

869

(9,077)

(2,787)

(2,612)

(5,399)

(397)

(372)

(769)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash

equivalents and restricted cash

153

5

158

66

22

88

(721)

(84)

(805)

(103)

(12)

(115)

Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash

equivalents and restricted cash 

(7,751)

1,050

(6,701)

11,914

1,637

13,551

(11,772)

(4,116)

(15,888)

(1,678)

(586)

(2,264)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

  At beginning of period

49,814

5,082

54,896

36,964

6,270

43,234

48,878

7,907

56,785

6,965

1,127

8,092

  At end of period

42,063

6,132

48,195

48,878

7,907

56,785

37,106

3,791

40,897

5,287

541

5,828

Net cash provided by operating activities

8,694

831

9,525

7,970

409

8,379

4,036

243

4,279

575

35

610

Less: Capital expenditures

(3,525)

(4)

(3,529)

(2,090)

(28)

(2,118)

(1,637)

(8)

(1,645)

(233)

(1)

(234)

Free cash flow

5,169

827

5,996

5,880

381

6,261

2,399

235

2,634

342

34

376

Note: Baidu excl. iQIYI represents Baidu, Inc. minus iQIYI’s consolidated cash flows.

 

 

Baidu, Inc. 

Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures  

(In millions except for per ADS information, unaudited)

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

Three months ended 

September 30, 2023 (RMB)

June 30, 2024 (RMB)

September 30, 2024 (RMB)

September 30, 2024 (US$)

Baidu

Core

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

Baidu

Core

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

Baidu

Core

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

Baidu

Core

iQIYI

Baidu,

Inc.

Operating income

5,498

747

6,274

5,608

342

5,944

5,694

239

5,925

811

34

844

Add: Share-based compensation expenses

1,129

146

1,275

1,354

158

1,512

915

129

1,044

131

18

149

Add: Amortization and impairment of intangible assets(1)

45

2

47

43

1

44

43

2

45

6

6

Operating income (non-GAAP)

6,672

895

7,596

7,005

501

7,500

6,652

370

7,014

948

52

999

Add:  Depreciation of fixed assets

1,841

68

1,909

1,612

35

1,647

1,684

35

1,719

240

5

245

Adjusted EBITDA

8,513

963

9,505

8,617

536

9,147

8,336

405

8,733

1,188

57

1,244

Net income attributable to Baidu

6,436

476

6,681

5,462

69

5,488

7,536

229

7,632

1,074

33

1,088

Add: Share-based compensation expenses

1,128

146

1,194

1,353

158

1,425

914

129

972

130

18

138

Add: Amortization and impairment of intangible assets(1)

43

2

44

41

1

41

41

2

42

6

6

Add: Disposal (gain) loss

(753)

(753)

(30)

(30)

(1,501)

22

(1,491)

(214)

3

(212)

Add: Impairment of long-term investments

46

46

26

17

34

26

91

68

4

13

10

Add: Fair value (gain) loss of long-term investments

(384)

(2)

(385)

531

2

531

(1,361)

7

(1,358)

(194)

1

(194)

Add: Reconciling items on equity method investments(2)

572

572

83

83

8

8

1

1

Add: Tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments(3)

(132)

(132)

(176)

(176)

13

13

2

2

Net income attributable to Baidu (non-GAAP)

6,956

622

7,267

7,290

247

7,396

5,676

480

5,886

809

68

839

Diluted earnings per ADS

18.22

15.01

21.60

3.08

Add:  Accretion of the redeemable noncontrolling

interests

0.53

0.57

0.01

Add:  Non-GAAP adjustments to earnings per ADS

1.65

5.44

(5.01)

(0.71)

Diluted earnings per ADS (non-GAAP)

20.40

21.02

16.60

2.37

(1) This represents amortization and impairment of intangible assets resulting from business combinations.

(2) This represents Baidu’s share of equity method investments for other non-GAAP reconciling items, amortization and impairment of intangible assets not on the investee’s books, accretion of

their redeemable noncontrolling interests, and the gain or loss associated with the issuance of shares by the investees at a price higher or lower than the carrying value per share.

(3) This represents tax impact of all non-GAAP adjustments

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-announces-third-quarter-2024-results-302312583.html

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Revenue Organizations Using AI in 2024 Reported 29 Percent Higher Sales Growth than Their Peers, According to New Report from Gong

Published

on

By

Overall, sales appears to be returning to growth, with a 19 percent growth rate across all organizations surveyed

Revenue teams using AI plan to hire more aggressively than those who don’t, dispelling fears that AI will replace salespeople

SAN FRANCISCO and DANA POINT, Calif., Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Gong, the revenue AI company, shared the results of its inaugural annual report, The State of Revenue Growth 2025, which shows that revenue organizations are returning to growth after years of decline. In particular, organizations that already use AI are experiencing more of a rebound, with 29 percent higher revenue growth compared to their peers who have not yet begun implementing AI.

Of the more than 600 revenue leaders surveyed at global organizations of all sizes, nearly half (48 percent) say their teams are currently using AI, one quarter (24 percent) plan to deploy AI in the next 12 months, and the remaining 27 percent are not using AI and don’t plan to.

In addition to contributing to higher growth rates, the report found that AI is helping companies do so more efficiently. Companies currently using AI have 11 percent more go-to-market efficiency, measured when total sales and marketing spend are divided by revenue growth. The results suggest that AI supports companies in growing revenue while keeping spend low, contributing to a more sustainable growth than their counterparts not using AI.

Fears Debunked: AI is not replacing salespeople
Concerns have persisted that AI – in particular, agents – will replace sellers, a fear that Gong’s report found is decidedly unfounded. Companies currently using AI reported slightly more aggressive hiring plans in 2025 than their peers, with seven percent reporting plans for a significant increase (greater than 20 percent headcount) vs. four percent of those planning to implement AI. Only 15 percent of all organizations reported that they plan to decrease sales headcount by any amount.

“The results of our Annual Report make it clear that AI is not replacing sellers,” said Shane Evans, CRO, Gong. “What it is doing is helping organizations grow more efficiently. It’s helping them better understand their customers and the market, get more out of their technology investments, and streamline some of what used to be the common drudgery of a salesperson’s day-to-day. AI is a key driver of the increased growth we are seeing across many revenue organizations.”

Additional insights from the report include:

Traditional selling competencies are still critical. Regardless of their organization’s use of AI, the top skills leaders looked for were emotional intelligence and relationship-building.Email and customer engagement automation (for example, generating emails to prospects) was the top AI use case, with 63 percent of sales leaders reporting that their teams use it. This was followed by call summary and analysis (52 percent) and automated note-taking and automated data-entry, each with 42 percent.A recent Gong Labs report shows that 85 percent of sellers have used AI in their jobs over the past six months, with 68 percent using solutions that they seek on their own. As enterprise AI adoption continues to mature, revenue leaders are under pressure to deploy AI not just for basic tasks but at the organizational level to ensure their teams execute strategies that impact the bottom line.AI also leads to a greater understanding of the business: Leaders of organizations currently using AI are 47 percent more likely to be very confident that their sales team fully understands buyers’ and customers’ needs, preferences, and buying behaviors. They also get more out of their CRM, with 62 percent more likely to agree that CRM provides the insights needed to gain this understanding.In general, organizations using AI are more likely to be satisfied with the ROI they receive from their technology investments (57 vs. 34 percent).

Methodology
Data featured in Gong’s State of Revenue Growth 2025 was collected through a double-anonymous survey of full-time revenue leaders holding a director or higher role at their organization. Global respondents from North America, EMEA, and APAC participated from October 7, 2024, to October 18, 2024.

About Gong
Gong empowers everyone in revenue teams to improve productivity, increase predictability, and drive revenue growth by deeply understanding customers and business trends; driving impactful decisions and actions. The Gong Revenue AI Platform captures and contextualizes customer interactions, surfaces insights and predictions, and powers actions and workflows that are essential for business success. More than 4,000 companies around the world rely on Gong to unlock their revenue potential. For more information, visit www.gong.io.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/revenue-organizations-using-ai-in-2024-reported-29-percent-higher-sales-growth-than-their-peers-according-to-new-report-from-gong-302312896.html

SOURCE Gong

Continue Reading

Technology

Goover: The AI Research Agent Redefining Knowledge Acquisition

Published

on

By

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Goover, the AI-powered research agent, has officially launched, revolutionizing how individuals and organizations gather, analyze, and apply information. Designed for simplicity and efficiency, Goover allows users to ask questions and receive curated, actionable insights and briefings within minutes, eliminating the need for manual research and empowering informed decision-making. Compared to Perplexity, Goover demonstrates superior performance in context retention, report generation across various types and styles, and report regeneration tailored to specific user goals. Power users have already recognized that Goover’s Deep Answers consistently deliver more relevant and detailed insights compared to Perplexity.

Key Features of Goover:

Ask Anything: Goover handles any question. Users can upload documents to refine and personalize responses for tailored insights.Smart Feed and Smart Briefing: Stay up-to-date with curated updates on topics of interest and gain a competitive edge in navigating the fast-changing information landscape.Briefing Pages: Automatically track and analyze recurring topics with reports that deliver fresh insights over time.Personalized Reports: Customize reports, refine references, and regenerate content in multiple styles to suit both personal and professional needs.

Additional Tools for Enhanced Productivity:

Goover Mobile App: Stay informed on the go with features like Ask Goover, Smart Briefings, and mobile-ready reports that make knowledge accessible anywhere.Goover Chrome Extension: Easily clip web content and transform it into organized, actionable insights directly from your browser.

Who Can Benefit from Goover?

Goover is designed for anyone who needs quick, reliable information. From business professionals and researchers to students and lifelong learners, Goover adapts to meet the unique needs of its diverse user base. By simplifying research and offering comprehensive insights, Goover helps users seize opportunities with confidence.

“We created Goover to be a game-changer for anyone seeking clarity in a sea of information,” said Tony Lee, founder and CEO of Goover. “Whether tackling business decisions or academic research, Goover delivers the insights you need—quickly and efficiently.”

Why Goover Stands Out

Goover’s advanced neuro-symbolic AI merges cognitive reasoning with the adaptability of machine learning, mimicking human understanding of complex topics. This unique blend of technologies bridges the gap between raw data and meaningful insights, setting Goover apart from other platforms.

Availability:
Goover is accessible online at https://goover.ai/ and on iOS and Android.

New users can explore its intuitive features and discover a smarter way to research and learn.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goover-the-ai-research-agent-redefining-knowledge-acquisition-302313235.html

SOURCE Goover

Continue Reading

Technology

Global Times: Xi’s trip marks new chapter in China’s relations with Latin America, showcases commitment to cooperating with Global South

Published

on

By

BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Latin America not only marks a new chapter in China’s relations with the continent but also underscores China’s commitment to advancing cooperation with and amplifying the voice of Global South nations, experts said. 

Xi left Brasilia on Thursday after attending the 19th G20 Leaders’ Summit and paying a state visit to Brazil. Brazilian senior officials bid farewell to Xi at the airport.

On the way to the airport, representatives of overseas Chinese, Chinese institutions and students waved the national flags of China and Brazil on both sides of the road, congratulating Xi on the complete success of the visit.

During his state visit to Brazil, President Xi and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva jointly announced to elevate China-Brazil ties to a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, and to promote synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil’s development strategies.

When asked to comment on the details, outcomes and highlights of President Xi’s visit to Brazil, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said that the two presidents took stock of the past 50 years of China-Brazil relations, and agreed that the relationship is at its best period in history, is growing stronger in global, strategic and long-term significance, and has become an exemplar of common progress, solidarity and cooperation between major developing countries. 

Elevating the bilateral ties and synergizing the two countries’ development strategies will certainly enable the two countries to carry forward the past achievements in the relations and usher in the next “golden 50 years,” as well as to set an example for Global South nations to seek strength through unity and make new contributions to increasing the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance, according to Lin. 

President Xi also pointed out that next year marks the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum. China stands ready to join hands with Brazil and other Latin American countries to take China-Latin American cooperation to new heights, Lin said. 

Emerging Global South

Chinese analysts said that President Xi’s Latin America trip highlighted China’s commitment to promoting development and cooperation among Global South countries as the country is positioning itself as a key player in promoting global peace, security, and development. 

In a written speech addressing the APEC CEO Summit 2024, Xi said that the principles of “plan together, build together and benefit together” should be followed, the representation and voice of the Global South should be enhanced continuously, and all countries should be ensured of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules in conducting international economic cooperation.

While addressing Session I of the 19th G20 Summit on Fight Against Hunger and Poverty, Xi said “there should be more bridges of cooperation, and less ‘small yard, high fences,’ so that more and more developing countries will be better off and achieve modernization.”

To build such a world, Xi calls for an “open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for international economic cooperation,” a “universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization,” and support for developing countries in better integrating into digital, smart, and green development to bridge the North-South gap.

Xi also said that China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development.

Xi’s trip to Latin America not only serves as a new chapter for China’s relationship with the continent, but also highlighted China’s commitment to promoting development and cooperation among Global South countries, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

He noted that Global South countries are not only focusing on economic cooperation but are also playing an increasingly important role in international political and security matters. 

China has emphasized cooperation among the Global South in various multilateral platforms such as APEC and G20, effectively working to strengthen and elevate the collaboration in the international community. This aligns with the current trend of the Global South’s emergence, actively promoting deeper cooperation and enhancing influence within this group.

Within the Global South, the China-Latin America partnership represents a model of autonomous and reciprocal development. This partnership encourages other Global South countries to pursue mutually beneficial horizontal relationships, supporting a new multipolar order, Ronnie Lins, Brazilian economist and director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, told the Global Times. 

By strengthening economic, cultural, and technological ties, China and Latin America have the potential to form a more cohesive bloc, promoting cooperation on global challenges such as inequality, sustainability, and innovation. This integration among emerging countries paves new pathways for development, amplifying the Global South’s voice and potentially redefining the global economic and political balance, said Lins. 

Head-of-state diplomacy 

President Xi kicked off his first state visits this year to France, Serbia and Hungary in May. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press briefing that Xi’s Europe trip is a journey of carrying forward friendship, enhancing mutual trust, boosting confidence and charting the course for the future.

In July, Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, and made state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

In October, Xi arrived in Kazan to attend the 16th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi told Putin that China-Russia relations have forged ahead despite wind and rain in the last 75 years and found the right way for two big, neighboring countries to get along with each other, characterized by non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party.

When meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru on November 16, Xi said that over the past four years, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs, but the two sides have also been engaged in dialogue and cooperation, adding that the relationship has remained stable on the whole.

Apart from promoting Global South cooperation, China’s diplomacy is also making efforts to stabilize relations with major powers such as the US, Russia, and Europe, said Yang. 

Yang said that the interactions among these major powers, especially with the US, Europe and Russia, not only affect bilateral relations but are also related to the overall stability of the international situation. The endeavor to stabilize relations among major powers reflects China’s ongoing commitment to promoting world peace and development.

Another characteristic is marked by China’s neighboring diplomacy, said Yang. 

China places great importance on its neighboring diplomacy, consistently prioritizing its neighbors within the overall framework of its foreign policy. President Xi previously put forward the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness to guide China’s neighborhood diplomacy, and also proposed an open and interconnected paradigm for Asia-Pacific cooperation. 

These principles have become the fundamental guidelines and direction for the development of China’s relations with neighboring countries, aiming to create a peaceful and stable diplomatic environment in the region, which benefits both China and those countries, said Xu Bu, president of Institute of International Development and Security Studies, Jiangsu University. 

Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China is maintaining stable relations with major countries, working hand in hand with neighboring countries, and collaborating with Global South countries for revitalization, said Xu, noting that in doing so, China is charting a course for world peace, security, and development, writing a new chapter in its diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-xis-trip-marks-new-chapter-in-chinas-relations-with-latin-america-showcases-commitment-to-cooperating-with-global-south-302313245.html

SOURCE Global Times

Continue Reading

Trending