Baidu (BIDU) Stock: Chinese AI Chipmaker Files for IPO as Nvidia Faces Restrictions

TLDR

• Baidu’s AI chip unit Kunlunxin filed for a Hong Kong stock exchange listing on January 1, 2026.
• Analysts at Jefferies estimate Kunlunxin’s valuation could reach between $16 billion and $23 billion.
• Baidu stock jumped 9.7% in premarket trading following the IPO filing announcement.
• Chinese AI chipmakers are gaining ground while Nvidia faces restrictions on selling advanced chips to China.
• Fellow Chinese AI chipmaker Shanghai Biren Technology surged 76% in its Hong Kong trading debut on the same day.

Baidu stock surged in early trading Friday after the Chinese tech company announced its AI chip division is heading for an initial public offering. The move positions Kunlunxin to capitalize on investor appetite for domestic AI technology.

Baidu, Inc., BIDU

The company filed its listing application for Kunlunxin with the Hong Kong stock exchange on January 1. Baidu’s American depositary receipts climbed 9.7% in premarket trading. Its Hong Kong-listed shares rose 9.4% on Friday.

Jefferies analysts put Kunlunxin’s potential valuation between $16 billion and $23 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Baidu didn’t disclose the offering size in its Friday filing.

Founded in 2012, Kunlunxin designs AI chips to power Baidu’s ecosystem and compete in the fast-growing semiconductor sector. Baidu currently owns about 59% of the unit.

The company said the spinoff aims to showcase Kunlunxin’s value independently and attract investors focused on AI chips. The listing would help expand financing channels and improve management accountability.

Kunlunxin will remain a Baidu subsidiary after the IPO. The deal still requires regulatory approval from China’s securities regulator.

Strong Debut for Chinese AI Chipmakers

The timing looks good for Kunlunxin based on recent market performance. Shanghai Biren Technology jumped 76% in its Hong Kong trading debut on Friday.

Biren raised 5.37 billion Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to $690.4 million, in its IPO. Shares priced at HK$19.60 each closed the day at HK$34.46.

Chinese chipmakers like Kunlunxin, Biren, Huawei Technologies, Cambricon Technologies, and Moore Threads are pushing to capture market share. They’re gaining ground while Nvidia faces restrictions on selling its most advanced chips to China.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has called China a $50 billion market for AI infrastructure, growing at 50% annually. He’s lobbied for permission to sell chips to Chinese customers, arguing it would create dependence on American hardware.

Beijing has pushed back, discouraging Chinese companies from buying Nvidia chips. President Donald Trump said last month he would allow Nvidia H200 chip shipments to China if the company gives the U.S. government 25% of sales. Chinese regulators haven’t indicated whether they’ll approve such sales.

Nvidia’s Performance Edge Creates Competition

The H200 chip outperforms Chinese-made chips by roughly 32% in processing power compared to the Huawei Ascend 910C, according to the Institute for Progress think tank. This performance gap could hurt Kunlunxin and other domestic chipmakers if Nvidia gains approval to sell in China.

Even with approval, Nvidia might struggle to meet demand. The company has orders for over 2 million H200 chips from China, valued at roughly $54 billion. It only has a stockpile of 700,000 processors, according to Reuters.

Kunlunxin has helped Baidu reduce its reliance on Nvidia chips for data centers running its Ernie AI models. The unit now operates more independently and sells to third-party customers beyond Baidu.

Baidu is betting on generative AI to drive future growth. The company faces pressure from improving open-source models like DeepSeek and new AI-first applications competing for market share.

Wall Street maintains a Strong Buy consensus on Baidu stock, based on 12 Buy ratings and two Hold ratings. The average price target of $156.12 suggests 20% upside potential.

Baidu didn’t respond to requests for comment. Nvidia also didn’t respond to a request for comment.

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