What to Expect From Baidu, Inc. in 2018
Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) is often called the "Google of China" since it controls about 80% of the country's online search market. But its expanding ecosystem also includes various portal sites, cloud services, online-to-offline services, and next-generation platforms for artificial intelligence and connected cars. To better understand where Baidu is headed next year, we should take a closer look at its plans for the future.
Baidu's biggest rival in China is Tencent (NASDAQOTH: TCEHY), which owns WeChat, the most popular messaging app in China. Over the past few years, Tencent has expanded WeChat into a monolithic "super app" for mobile payments, ride hailing, food deliveries, and other services. The growth of that ecosystem could reduce users' dependence on Baidu's search services.
Baidu's mobile app. Image source: iTunes.
Source: Fool.com