Connect with us

Technology

Baidu Announces Proposed Offering of Exchangeable Bonds

Published

1 year ago

on

BEIJING, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)), (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced that it proposes to offer up to US$2 billion in aggregate principal amount of exchangeable bonds due 2032 (the “Bonds”) in offshore transactions outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), subject to market conditions and other factors (the “Bonds Offering”).

The Bonds will reference ordinary shares of Trip.com Group Limited that are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) (HKEX: 9961) (“Trip.com Shares”). Holders of the Bonds may not exchange their Bonds prior to the first anniversary of the issue date of the Bonds, except upon an event of default. Between the first anniversary of the issue date and the date falling 6 months prior to the maturity date of the Bonds, holders of the Bonds may exchange the Bonds into cash only upon the satisfaction of certain contingencies. Thereafter and until the second scheduled trading day preceding the maturity date, holders may exchange the Bonds into cash at any time. Subject to certain conditions, the Company may elect to deliver Trip.com Shares held by the Company in lieu of cash or a combination of cash and Trip.com Shares. The Bonds are not exchangeable for American depositary shares of Trip.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: TCOM) (“Trip.com ADSs”). The exchange ratio and other terms of the Bonds have not been finalized and will be determined at the time of pricing of the Bonds Offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Bonds Offering for repayment of certain existing indebtedness, payment of interest and general corporate purposes. The Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. They may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Trip.com Shares currently held by the Company are “restricted securities” (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act). Any Trip.com Shares that the Company may elect to deliver upon exchange of the Bonds shall be freely transferable for the purposes of the Securities Act.

Investor Hedging Transactions

The Company expects that certain purchasers of the Bonds will employ a convertible arbitrage strategy through a short position in respect of Trip.com Shares and/or Trip.com ADSs to hedge their exposure to the Bonds, Trip.com Shares and/or Trip.com ADSs. Concurrently with the pricing of the Bonds, the bookrunners of the Bonds Offering expect to facilitate a sale of Trip.com Shares (for the avoidance of doubt, not Trip.com ADSs), representing the initial delta of such hedging investors, in off-market privately negotiated transactions (such sale, a “delta placement”).

Other Matters

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities, in the United States or elsewhere, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

This announcement contains information about the pending Bonds Offering, and there can be no assurance that the Bonds Offering will be completed.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on Nasdaq under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888”. One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Baidu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in announcements made on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Baidu’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Baidu’s growth strategies; its future business development, including development of new products and services; its ability to attract and retain users and customers; competition in the Chinese Internet search and newsfeed market; competition for online marketing customers; changes in the Company’s revenues and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of its revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration, including those relating to intellectual property rights; the expected growth of the Chinese-language Internet search and newsfeed market and the number of Internet and broadband users in China; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Internet and Internet search providers, and general economic conditions in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Baidu does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this announcement is as of the date of the announcement, and Baidu undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-announces-proposed-offering-of-exchangeable-bonds-302395485.html

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

TS Imagine Expands Integration with Trumid’s Fixed-Income Trading Platform

Published

47 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

Adds Access to Trumid RFQ Automation
and Trumid Full Self Trading (FST™)

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TS Imagine, a leading global cross-asset provider of trading, portfolio, risk management and prime brokerage solutions, announced an expanded workflow integration with Trumid, a financial technology company and leading fixed income electronic trading platform.

The enhanced integration provides TS Imagine clients with broader access to Trumid’s electronic trading ecosystem, including its list-based workflows—Trumid RFQ and Portfolio Trading (PT)—while expanding RFQ automation and cross-protocol capabilities. Clients can now access:

Trumid’s RFQ network, enabling automated workflows through RFQ Auto-Submit via Trumid AutoPilot™ for RFQ, along with API-driven executionHeadless RFQ responder, initiator, and voice inquiry workflows Trumid Full Self Trading (FST™), Trumid’s automated cross-protocol execution capability connecting liquidity and execution opportunities across Trumid RFQ and Swarms, with expansion to Trumid Attributed Trading (firm dealer streams) planned for H2 2026. 

TS Imagine first integrated with Trumid in 2020, including support for Trumid’s Fair Value Model Price (FVMP™) predictive pricing model for corporate bonds.

Alexis Sainte Marie, Fixed Income Product, TS Imagine, said:

“Our expanded relationship with Trumid is an important step for TS Imagine clients seeking greater access to liquidity and workflow automation. We’ve particularly seen significant growth in areas like portfolio trading and RFQ and will continue to work closely with the Trumid team to enhance trading opportunities for our customers.”

Jason Quinn, Chief Product Officer & Global Head of Sales at Trumid, said: 

“Our mutual clients continue to benefit from the integration with TS Imagine, particularly as adoption of Trumid’s list-based workflows continues to accelerate. As clients increasingly engage across multiple Trumid trading protocols, we see additional opportunities to expand our relationship and deliver even greater value for our mutual clients.”

Trumid’s list protocols continued to deliver strong growth during Q2 2026. Trumid RFQ Average Daily Volume (ADV) increased 122% year-over-year, while automated trade volumes executed through Trumid AutoPilot™ for RFQ more than doubled. Trumid PT volume rose approximately 40% year-over-year, with the protocol recording its highest quarterly ADV alongside all-time highs in buy-side participation and lists traded. 

About TS Imagine 

TS Imagine delivers a best-in-class SaaS platform for integrated electronic front-office trading, portfolio management, prime brokerage, and financial risk management. Our global team of technologists continuously develops software and deploys new technologies that empower financial institutions to outperform markets and manage risk in real time. Many of the world’s leading financial institutions trust TS Imagine’s platform to manage their risk exposure and make better trading decisions across derivatives, equities and fixed income, cutting complexity and driving efficiencies.

About Trumid

Trumid is a financial technology company and fixed income electronic trading platform focused on US dollar-denominated Investment Grade, High Yield, Distressed, and Emerging Market bonds. Trumid optimizes the credit trading experience by combining agile technology and market expertise, with a focus on product design. The result is a differentiated ecosystem of protocols and trading solutions delivered within one intuitive platform. Learn more at www.trumid.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Greentarget for TS Imagine
tsimagine@greentarget.co.uk

Trumid Press
+1 (212) 618-0300
press@trumid.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ts-imagine-expands-integration-with-trumids-fixed-income-trading-platform-302832754.html

SOURCE Trumid

Continue Reading

Technology

Passage Preparation Wins 2026 CODiE Award for Best Professional Learning Platform

Published

47 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Passage Preparation™, a division of K12 Coalition, has been named a 2026 CODiE Award Winner in the category Best Professional Learning Platform.

The CODiE Awards recognize the most innovative products, platforms and services across technology and education. Winners are selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by independent industry experts who assess each solution based on innovation, functionality, market impact, and overall value.

Selected from 228 finalists across 75 categories, the 2026 CODiE Award winners represent the solutions setting new standards for excellence and innovation.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from the CODiE Awards,” said Nathan Estel, Managing Director of Passage Preparation. “This award reflects our team’s commitment to helping aspiring educators build the knowledge, confidence, and instructional expertise they need to succeed on their licensure exams. We remain dedicated to strengthening the educator pipeline through innovative learning experiences that prepare great teachers for the classroom.”

As schools across the country face persistent teacher shortages, Passage Preparation is helping accelerate the path from aspiring educator to licensed classroom teacher. The platform provides comprehensive licensure exam preparation tailored to state certification requirements and subject areas, ensuring candidates focus on the content most relevant to their certification pathway. Developed by experienced teachers and teacher educators, every course is aligned with both licensure standards and evidence-based instructional practices, equipping candidates with the skills they need to succeed on certification exams and in the classroom.

Unlike traditional test-preparation programs that emphasize memorization and test-taking strategies, Passage Preparation builds lasting content knowledge and teaching proficiency through engaging, interactive learning experiences. Candidates benefit from diagnostic assessments that identify strengths and areas for improvement, detailed progress reporting, practice assessments, and personalized study plans. Flexible self-paced learning is complemented by live virtual cohorts that provide instructor guidance, peer collaboration, and accountability, creating a supportive professional learning community for busy educators.

Designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind, Passage Preparation includes tools such as Immersive Reader, offering real-time translation in more than 100 languages, text-to-speech functionality, customizable display settings, and other features that support diverse learning needs. The platform has consistently helped improve certification exam pass rates, enabling many candidates to earn licensure on their first attempt, saving valuable time and costs. By preparing more educators to enter the profession successfully, Passage Preparation helps districts fill critical teaching positions faster and strengthens the educator workforce nationwide.

“The 2026 CODiE Award winners represent some of the most innovative and impactful solutions in the industry,” said Jennifer Baranowski, President of the CODiE Awards. “These organizations are solving meaningful challenges, delivering measurable outcomes, and helping shape the future of technology.”

A complete list of 2026 CODiE Award winners is available at https://codieawards.com/winners.

About K12 Coalition 

K12 Coalition is a collective of specialized education products and services with a common mission to provide a great education for every student in every classroom every day. The company offers deep expertise in solving five macro K-12 education challenges: teacher certification, professional learning, literacy and math curriculum, accelerated student learning through summer school, and district support, including strategic planning and consulting. Learn more at k12coalition.com.

About Passage Preparation

Passage Preparation specializes in providing comprehensive licensure assessment preparation resources designed to bolster teacher confidence and proficiency. These learning resources equip licensure candidates with the knowledge necessary for success on exams and instill in them best teaching practices using methodologies thoughtfully curated to be engaging and aligned precisely with the content covered on the licensure exams. Passage Preparation is part of K12 Coalition, a certified B Corporation helping schools and teachers thrive nationwide.

Media Contact:
Alex Fairchild
K12Coalition@finnpartners.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/passage-preparation-wins-2026-codie-award-for-best-professional-learning-platform-302832895.html

SOURCE K12 Coalition

Continue Reading

Technology

Knox Systems Partners with Microsoft to Accelerate Secure Government Access to Commercial Innovation on Microsoft Azure

Published

47 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

Strategic collaboration helps software companies bring cutting-edge commercial technology to the U.S. Government faster through Microsoft Azure Government Cloud

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Knox Systems (Knox), the largest, longest-running federal managed cloud, today announced a collaboration with Microsoft to help commercial software companies deploy secure, mission-ready solutions on Microsoft Azure Government Cloud for U.S. Government customers.

As demand for modern AI, cybersecurity, data, and enterprise software continues to grow across the public sector, the partnership is designed to reduce the barriers that have historically prevented government agencies from accessing the same technologies already transforming the commercial market.

Knox enables software providers to achieve production-ready federal cloud environments in as little as 90 days through its pre-authorized Federal Managed Cloud. By inheriting a substantial portion of required security controls, companies can reduce the time, effort, cost, and compliance burden associated with deploying compliant government cloud solutions. Combined with Microsoft Azure’s trusted government cloud platform, the collaboration provides an accelerated path for innovative software companies seeking to serve federal civilian and defense customers.

“America’s greatest technology companies shouldn’t spend years navigating compliance before they can help solve government missions,” said Irina Denisenko, CEO of Knox Systems. “Microsoft has built one of the world’s most trusted cloud platforms for government. Knox removes the operational barriers that can keep innovative software companies from deploying secure, compliant solutions on Azure Government. Together, we’re making it dramatically faster for agencies to access the technologies they need, securely, compliantly, and at mission speed.”

The collaboration strengthens Microsoft’s ecosystem for independent software vendors (ISVs) pursuing government opportunities while expanding the pathway for AI-native, cybersecurity, enterprise software, and critical infrastructure companies to bring production workloads to Azure.

“Microsoft is committed to helping software companies innovate for government while meeting the highest standards for security and compliance,” said Jamie Harper, VP, Defense Industrial Base, Microsoft. “Our collaboration with Knox provides organizations with an accelerated path to deploy innovative solutions on Microsoft Azure Government Cloud, helping government agencies gain faster access to the technologies that support critical missions.”

Knox currently operates one of the industry’s largest FedRAMP-authorized managed cloud environments, supporting more than 70 software companies and maintaining 16 US Federal and Department of War Authorizations to Operate (ATOs). Customers including Adobe, Armis, Celonis, BigID, and other leading software providers rely on Knox to bring commercial innovation to government faster while maintaining rigorous security standards.

As AI adoption accelerates across government, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring agencies can securely leverage the same cutting-edge technologies already powering the commercial economy.

About Knox Systems

Knox Systems operates the largest managed federal cloud, trusted by top agencies and partners across defense and civilian sectors. Built for speed, resilience, and compliance, Knox delivers FedRAMP authorization in 90 days – turning the biggest bottleneck in government IT into the fastest path to modernization. Knox proudly serves Adobe, Celonis, OutSystems, Armis, BigID, and more AI and SaaS providers, accelerating secure innovation across the federal landscape. Learn more at knoxsystems.com.

Media Contact:
knox@w2comm.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/knox-systems-partners-with-microsoft-to-accelerate-secure-government-access-to-commercial-innovation-on-microsoft-azure-302832781.html

SOURCE Knox Systems, Inc

Continue Reading

Trending