TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) Stock Price Up 8.2% – Still a Buy?

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) shares rose 8.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $12.72 and last traded at $12.8850. Approximately 3,008,357 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 16% from the average daily volume of 3,591,498 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.91.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TRIP has been the topic of several analyst reports. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price target on shares of TripAdvisor in a research report on Friday, May 29th. B. Riley Financial cut their price target on shares of TripAdvisor from $18.00 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of TripAdvisor from $16.00 to $13.70 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of TripAdvisor from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of TripAdvisor from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.76.

TripAdvisor Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $10.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.01. The company has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 126.95, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.90.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The travel company reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $382.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $384.69 million. TripAdvisor had a net margin of 0.99% and a return on equity of 5.73%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that TripAdvisor, Inc. will post 0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Almir Ambeskovic sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.30, for a total value of $98,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $423,070.80. This represents a 18.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TripAdvisor

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in TripAdvisor by 295.2% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,300 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,718 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in TripAdvisor in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in TripAdvisor by 192.5% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,767 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,821 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in TripAdvisor by 39.7% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,482 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 705 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in TripAdvisor by 308.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,077 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 3,078 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a leading online travel company that operates a digital platform for travel information, reviews and booking services. The company’s flagship website and mobile apps allow users to access and contribute travel-related content—ranging from hotel and restaurant reviews to ratings for tours, attractions and vacation rentals—helping consumers plan and book trips around the world.

The core of TripAdvisor’s offering is its community-driven review system, which aggregates user-generated feedback alongside editorial content and professional photography.