Groupe la Francaise Has $65.09 Million Stake in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Groupe la Francaise increased its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 25.0% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 15,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,093 shares during the quarter. Booking accounts for 0.9% of Groupe la Francaise’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Booking were worth $65,092,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of BKNG. Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Booking from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective (down from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler set a $195.00 target price on Booking in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Argus set a $210.00 target price on Booking and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Booking from $244.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $227.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total value of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. The trade was a 12.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $1,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,200,000. This represents a 23.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 68,625 shares of company stock worth $11,445,375 over the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Booking Stock Down 4.0%

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $193.24 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $150.14 and a 12-month high of $231.80. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $175.07 and a 200-day moving average of $177.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm’s revenue was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.99 EPS. Research analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target for Booking Holdings from $249 to $266 and reiterated a “Buy” rating, implying substantial upside from recent levels. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s latest reported quarter showed resilient fundamentals: earnings per share exceeded estimates, revenue reached $5.53 billion, and revenue increased 16.2% year over year. Investors may view this performance as a supportive baseline for the upcoming results.
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking is preparing to report second-quarter earnings for the period ended June 2026. Analysts are focused on room nights, gross bookings, revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, while the market looks for evidence that the company’s Connected Trip and artificial-intelligence initiatives are translating into growth. Booking Holdings Q2 key metrics preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Robert J. Mylod Jr. sold 5,000 shares for approximately $1 million, while Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares for $216,000. Both transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their significance as signals about management’s current view of the stock. Robert Mylod SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect slower second-quarter growth as geopolitical and travel disruptions weigh on demand. The earnings preview also suggests that gains from the Connected Trip and AI initiatives may not fully offset a more challenging operating environment. Booking Holdings Q2 earnings outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The upcoming earnings event creates near-term uncertainty because investors will be looking for a beat and constructive guidance after the recent share-price weakness. Any disappointment in bookings, margins or the outlook could increase volatility.

About Booking

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.