Key Points
- Booking director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares for $216,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing her holdings by 6.38% to 16,508 shares.
- Booking’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $1.14 per share and revenue of $5.53 billion, up 16.2% year over year.
- Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $227.05, while investors showed increased bullish positioning ahead of the company’s upcoming earnings report.
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,508 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,169,536. This trade represents a 6.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Booking Stock Up 1.0%
BKNG opened at $201.30 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $174.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $177.49. The company has a market capitalization of $155.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.48, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 52 week low of $150.14 and a 52 week high of $231.80.
Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.06. Booking had a negative return on equity of 117.14% and a net margin of 22.23%.The business had revenue of $5.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently weighed in on BKNG shares. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of Booking from $240.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus set a $210.00 price target on shares of Booking and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Booking from $309.84 to $298.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $227.05.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Booking
Key Booking News
Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 21,239 BKNG call options on July 28, about 31% above typical call volume. The activity suggests increased bullish positioning ahead of the company’s upcoming earnings report.
- Positive Sentiment: A Zacks analysis continues to identify Booking Holdings as a potential long-term growth stock, reflecting expectations that its travel marketplace, scale and earnings growth can support market-beating returns. Why Booking Holdings Is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
- Neutral Sentiment: Booking is scheduled to report earnings next week. Wall Street expects earnings growth, but Zacks says the company does not currently show the combination of factors that typically supports a likely earnings beat, creating a mixed setup before results. Booking Holdings Reports Next Week
- Neutral Sentiment: Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares worth $216,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Because the sale reduced her holdings by only 6.38% and was scheduled in advance, it is unlikely to materially change the investment outlook. SEC Insider Trading Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Bank of America launched a travel center offering nearly one million travel options, including hotels, flights, car rentals and activities. The broader distribution platform, powered by Rocket Travel by Agoda, could intensify competition for Booking’s customers and supplier relationships. Bank of America Launches Travel Center
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BKNG. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new stake in Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
About Booking
(
Get Free Report)
Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel company that operates a portfolio of consumer brands and technology platforms that facilitate the search for and booking of travel services. The company's businesses focus on accommodations, transportation and related travel services through consumer-facing websites and apps as well as partner distribution channels. Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in the late 1990s and adopted the Booking Holdings name in 2018; it is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Its core offerings include online reservations for hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging; flight and car rental search and booking; and ancillary services that support travel planning and on-property experiences.
Recommended Stories
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
