Robert Mylod, Jr. Sells 1,000 Shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Robert Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $206.70, for a total value of $206,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 15,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,100,500. The trade was a 6.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Booking Stock Performance

BKNG traded up $0.37 during trading on Thursday, hitting $207.39. 6,747,979 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,600,265. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $177.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.76. The firm has a market cap of $160.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.14 and a 1 year high of $231.80.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 120.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $55.40 EPS. Booking’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Booking’s payout ratio is presently 22.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on BKNG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Booking from $224.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $240.00 price objective (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Booking has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.69.

Trending Headlines about Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted EPS of $2.54 versus the $2.43 consensus and revenue of $7.35 billion versus $7.19 billion expected. Revenue increased 8.1% year over year, with room nights, gross bookings and EBITDA reportedly beating guidance. Booking Holdings Q2 results top estimates as travel demand remains resilient
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised targets: UBS lifted its price target from $266 to $274 and maintained a Buy rating, while Wedbush raised its target from $211 to $247 and upgraded its outlook to Outperform. Benchmark also increased its target from $220 to $250 with a Buy rating. Booking Holdings Given New $274 Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Travel demand remains resilient: Strong domestic and regional travel helped offset pressure on long-haul international bookings and concerns related to Middle East volatility. Management also highlighted early benefits from AI-driven personalization, connected-trip initiatives and cost savings. Booking Holdings Stock Surges on Better-Than-Expected Results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 11. The dividend provides a modest 0.8% annualized yield.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Booking by 3,475.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in Booking by 3,550.0% in the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.