Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $335.06 and last traded at $334.0680, with a volume of 175018 shares. The stock had previously closed at $321.63.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Expedia Group from $264.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective (up from $245.00) on shares of Expedia Group in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Expedia Group from $246.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Benchmark boosted their target price on Expedia Group from $290.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Expedia Group from $330.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-one have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Expedia Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $315.94.

Expedia Group Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $280.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $247.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21. The company has a market capitalization of $40.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.87, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.22.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The online travel company reported $5.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.22 by $0.54. Expedia Group had a net margin of 12.97% and a return on equity of 87.32%. The firm had revenue of $4.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.24 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 17.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.97%.

Insider Activity at Expedia Group

In other Expedia Group news, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 2,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $323.65, for a total transaction of $909,456.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,885,741.90. This represents a 18.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Craig A. Jacobson sold 3,133 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.52, for a total transaction of $1,029,253.16. Following the sale, the director directly owned 29,832 shares in the company, valued at $9,800,408.64. The trade was a 9.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 16,588 shares of company stock worth $4,849,769 over the last quarter. 5.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Expedia Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EXPE. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Expedia Group in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Expedia Group during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. First Bancorp Inc ME bought a new position in Expedia Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 970.6% in the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 182 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 272.9% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 179 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. 90.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) is a global travel technology company that operates an online marketplace connecting consumers, travel suppliers and third?party partners. The company’s platform enables search, comparison and booking of travel products and services, including hotels, airline tickets, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises and packaged travel. Its portfolio comprises consumer-facing travel brands as well as corporate travel solutions and technology services that serve both leisure and business travelers.

Key offerings include consumer booking platforms and mobile apps that aggregate inventory from hotels, vacation rental managers, airlines and car rental companies, alongside ancillary travel services such as trip insurance and activities.