Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman Sells 1,125 Shares of Stock

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total transaction of $216,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,508 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Booking Trading Up 1.0%

BKNG opened at $201.30 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $174.40 and a 200 day moving average of $177.49. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $150.14 and a 12 month high of $231.80. The firm has a market cap of $155.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.07.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $5.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.52 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 117.14% and a net margin of 22.23%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.99 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on BKNG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Booking from $244.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective 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. Wedbush assumed coverage on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $211.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Booking from $210.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Gordon Haskett lifted their price target on shares of Booking from $217.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $227.05.

Booking News Summary

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

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BKNG. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 3,475.0% during the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in Booking by 3,550.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking Company Profile

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.