Baidu Shareholder Meeting Date Set
Baidu Sets July 2026 Record Date for Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders
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Baidu has set July 17, 2026 as the record date for an upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of shareholders, according to PR Newswire. The date determines which shareholders are eligible to vote at what analysts expect to be one of the most consequential meetings in the Chinese AI company's history.
The announcement comes at a turbulent moment for Baidu. The U.S. Department of Defense added the company to its "Chinese Military Companies" list on June 8, and its AI chip subsidiary Kunlunxin is targeting a staggering $50 billion valuation for a Hong Kong IPO — up from just $3 billion in late 2025, Yahoo Finance reported.
What Shareholders Must Do Before July 17
To vote at the EGM, holders of Baidu's ordinary shares must have their share transfer documents lodged with Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services by 4:30 p.m. Hong Kong time on July 17, according to PR Newswire. Missing that deadline means losing voting rights entirely.
ADS holders — investors who hold Baidu shares through U.S. exchanges — face a different process. They cannot attend the meeting in person. Instead, The Bank of New York Mellon, which acts as depositary for Baidu's American Depositary Shares, will collect their instructions and vote on their behalf. This "dual-track" system is common for U.S.-listed Chinese companies, Yahoo Finance noted.
Kunlunxin Spin-Off Could Unlock $50 Billion in Value
The EGM is widely expected to address the planned spin-off of Kunlunxin, Baidu's AI chip unit. Baidu currently owns 58% of Kunlunxin. Reports from late June put the IPO target valuation at $50 billion — a 17-fold jump from its $3 billion valuation just months earlier, according to Yahoo Finance.
Baidu's Hong Kong-listed shares surged 7% to 8.7% following the valuation reports, as investors bet on a major "unlocking" of value. But some analysts are cautious. The Bank for International Settlements warned that a reported structure requiring IPO investors to commit to future chip purchases — worth 3 to 7 times their investment — could artificially inflate demand signals, PR Newswire reported.
U.S. Military Blacklist Clouds Baidu's Global Standing
On June 8, the U.S. DoD designated Baidu a "military-civil fusion contributor" alongside Alibaba and BYD. Baidu's CFO Haijian He issued a formal response calling the designation "entirely baseless" and said the company would pursue legal options, according to Yahoo Finance.
The CMC list is not a sanctions list, but it carries real risks. It can trigger procurement bans and heightened trade scrutiny. Baidu's Hong Kong shares dropped 14% after the news broke. The EGM agenda may include formal authorization for legal challenges against the U.S. government, PR Newswire reported.
Baidu's AI Business Hits a Milestone Amid the Turmoil
Despite the regulatory pressure, Baidu's core business is growing fast. In Q1 2026, AI-powered revenue hit RMB 13.6 billion — a 49% year-over-year jump — and crossed 50% of total core revenue for the first time, according to Yahoo Finance. CEO Robin Li called AI "the core driver of Baidu" on the earnings call.
The company's autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go delivered 3.2 million fully driverless rides in Q1 2026 alone. Baidu also launched a $5 billion share repurchase program in February and adopted its first-ever dividend policy, signaling confidence in its financial position, PR Newswire noted.
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