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RealMoney.com: James J. Cramer
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Ring Register and Run From Baidu.com

By Jim Cramer
RealMoney.com Columnist

8/5/2005 1:59 PM EDT
 
 Baidu.com (BIUDU:Nasdaq ADS) BEARISH
Price: $96.66  |  52-Week Range: Prev. Close $27.00
  • It's absurd that Baidu.com is up $70 from its pricing.
  • It's bad for the business, it's so 1999.
  • Baidu's gone from being priced at 590 times earnings to trading at 2,000 times earnings, so ring the register.
Position: None



Who's to blame for Baidu.com (BIDU - commentary - Cramer's Take)? I put it that way, rather than praising it and being happy about it, because, of course, it is absurd what happened, that a stock could be up $70 from its pricing. It is positively 1999. Too small a float. Handed to the wrong people. Given out at a valuation that, while high vs. Google (GOOG - commentary - Cramer's Take) and Yahoo! (YHOO - commentary - Cramer's Take) is low vs. where it could have gone out.

This is the kind of stuff that's so bad for the business. It's a monster.

Let's pull it apart, because it is so 1999. First, we have the very few shares offered, far fewer than the demand called for: just 4 million shares.

Second, we have all of the Google comparisons -- right down to the two hip founders -- even though is it much more expensive than Google and priced at 590 times earnings. Now it trades around 2,000 times earnings! (It is profitable, but barely -- making about $1.5 million so far.) What's attractive about Google is that it was actually cheap on the out years. Still is, although not as much as it was a year ago, when it was in the $80s.

Who knows about this thing? I would love to blame the bankers for pricing it so low, but it was already well above Google and Yahoo! valuations when they did they deal, so I am sure that, when they get sued years from now, that will be a decent defense. And they will get sued, because even though it is a Chinese deal, it's the American way to blame bankers when a stock implodes.

Finally, China? I mean, how much do we have to lose trading Communist stocks, how can we still say, "This time will be different"? Other than Shanda Interactive (SNDA - commentary - Cramer's Take) that market's been almost a total travesty.

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At the time of publication, Cramer was long Yahoo! and Sears.

James J. Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for ActionAlertsPLUS. While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he invites you to send comments on his column by clicking here. Listen to Cramer's RealMoney Radio show on your computer; just click here. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" at 6 p.m. ET weeknights on CNBC. Click here to order Cramer's latest book, "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get his second book, "You Got Screwed!" and click here to order Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict."

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