Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) vs Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | PINS | 15.8% revenue growth vs BIDU's -1.1% |
| Value | BIDU | Lower P/E (2.3x vs 10.0x) |
| Quality / Margins | PINS | 9.9% net margin vs BIDU's 6.9% |
| Stability / Safety | BIDU | Beta 0.88 vs PINS's 1.49 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BIDU | +48.8% vs PINS's -52.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PINS | 7.6% ROA vs BIDU's 2.0%, ROIC 6.2% vs 4.8% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Baidu operates China's dominant internet search engine and AI-powered online platform. It generates most revenue from online marketing services — primarily search and feed-based ads — with cloud services and AI initiatives contributing growing shares. Its moat stems from its entrenched search dominance in China, massive user data for AI training, and regulatory barriers that limit foreign competition.
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users find inspiration for everything from recipes to home decor through personalized image and video pins. It generates revenue primarily through advertising — selling promoted pins and shopping ads to brands — with advertising accounting for nearly all of its revenue. Its competitive advantage lies in its unique intent-based discovery model where users actively seek inspiration, creating a high-intent advertising environment distinct from social media feeds.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
PINS leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BIDU leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BIDU is the larger business by revenue, generating $130.5B annually — 30.9x PINS's $4.2B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 9.9% (PINS) to 6.9% (BIDU). On growth, PINS holds the edge at +14.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $130.5B | $4.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4.9B | $339M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $9.0B | $417M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15.7B | $1.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +44.7% | +80.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -2.6% | +7.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +6.9% | +9.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -12.0% | +29.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -7.1% | +14.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.6% | -84.7% |
Valuation Metrics
At 13.8x trailing earnings, BIDU trades at a 52% valuation discount to PINS's 28.8x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, PINS's 2.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BIDU's 3.6x.
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $11.1B | $1.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $19.0B | $651M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 13.76x | 28.80x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 2.31x | 9.97x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.23x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.63x | 2.04x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.57x | 0.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.12x | 2.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 5.78x | 1.12x |
Profitability & Efficiency
PINS delivers a 8.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $9 in annual profit, vs $3 for BIDU. PINS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.05x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to BIDU's 0.28x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PINS scores 6/9 vs BIDU's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +3.1% | +8.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.0% | +7.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +4.8% | +6.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +6.3% | +6.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.28x | 0.05x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $54.5B | -$749M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $24.8B | $969M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $79.3B | $221M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 9.71x | 1.38x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BIDU five years ago would be worth $4,680 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,180 for PINS. Over the past 12 months, BIDU leads with a +48.8% total return vs PINS's -52.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BIDU at -1.6% vs PINS's -11.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -11.7% | -33.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +48.8% | -52.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -4.8% | -29.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -53.2% | -78.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -23.7% | -28.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -1.6% | -11.1% |
Risk & Volatility
BIDU is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PINS's 1.49 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. BIDU currently trades 80.2% from its 52-week high vs PINS's 44.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 1.49x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $165.30 | $39.93 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $74.71 | $13.84 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +80.2% | +44.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 36.1 | 32.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.7M | 16.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BIDU as "Buy" and PINS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 44.2% upside for PINS (target: $25) vs 19.5% for BIDU (target: $159).
| Metric | BIDUBaidu, Inc. | PINSPinterest, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $158.55 | $25.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 52 | 46 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 3 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +8.4% | +66.2% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) | 100 | 123.9 | +23.9% |
| Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) | 100 | 108.86 | +8.9% |
Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) returned -53% over 5 years vs Pinterest, Inc. (PINS)'s -78%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) | $70.5B | $133.1B | +88.7% |
| Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) | $473M | $4.2B | +792.8% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) | 16.5% | 17.8% | +8.2% |
| Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) | -27.5% | 9.9% | +135.9% |
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) | 4.5 | 1.3 | -71.1% |
| Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) | 88.7 | 42.4 | -52.2% |
Baidu, Inc. has traded in a 1x–20x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~14x. Pinterest, Inc. has traded in a 11x–89x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~29x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) | 33.44 | 65.92 | +97.1% |
| Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) | -0.29 | 0.61 | +310.3% |
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Baidu, Inc. generated $13B FCF in 2024 (+47% vs 2021). Pinterest, Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+68% vs 2021).
BIDU vs PINS: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BIDU or PINS a better buy right now?
Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) offers the better valuation at 13.8x trailing P/E (2.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) a "Buy" — based on 52 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — BIDU or PINS?
On trailing P/E, Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) is the cheapest at 13.8x versus Pinterest, Inc. at 28.8x. On forward P/E, Baidu, Inc. is actually cheaper at 2.3x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — BIDU or PINS?
Over the past 5 years, Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) delivered a total return of -53.2%, compared to -78.2% for Pinterest, Inc. (PINS). A $10,000 investment in BIDU five years ago would be worth approximately $5K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BIDU returned -23.7% versus PINS's -28.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — BIDU or PINS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Pinterest, Inc.'s 1.49β — meaning PINS is approximately 70% more volatile than BIDU relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Pinterest, Inc. (PINS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 5% versus 28% for Baidu, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — BIDU or PINS?
Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) is the more profitable company, earning 17.8% net margin versus 9.9% for Pinterest, Inc. — meaning it keeps 17.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BIDU leads at 16.0% versus 7.6% for PINS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PINS leads at 80.1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is BIDU or PINS more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) trades at 2.3x forward P/E versus 10.0x for Pinterest, Inc. — 7.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for PINS: 44.2% to $25.33.
07Which pays a better dividend — BIDU or PINS?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is BIDU or PINS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BIDU: -23.7%, PINS: -28.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between BIDU and PINS?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: BIDU is a mid-cap deep-value stock; PINS is a small-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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