Baidu (09888.HK) will report Q2 results Tuesday. A FactSet survey of 11 analysts
pegs Q2 net profit at 2.82 bln yuan versus 7.32 bln yuan a year earlier; revenue
is seen at 31.34 bln yuan versus 32.71 bln. Fitch says emerging AI search and
chatbot competition could pressure search monetization; the profit decline
reflects weaker legacy businesses and lower non-marketing margins. Citigroup
forecasts core-business revenue down 3.6% YoY, advertising revenue down about
20% YoY, while AI cloud infrastructure revenue is projected to rise roughly 60%
YoY.