Bernstein analyst David Dai upgraded iQIYI (IQ) to Market Perform from Underperform with a price target of $18, up from $16. The company's near-term outlook and sentiment should improve, creating limited downside for the shares, Dai tells investors in a research note. The analyst sees iQIYI's near-term headwinds turning "incrementally better from here" ahead of declining content costs next year. Baidu (BIDU) should also benefit from improving profitability and reducing loss from iQIYI, says Dai. The analyst maintains a Market Perform rating on Baidu shares with a $126 price target.

HSBC analyst Charlene Liu lowered the firm's price target on Baidu to $145 from $157 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares following the company's developer conference. The firm says Baidu's advertising outlook remains more challenging than it expected. It cut estimates on weaker a macro envinrment.