Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Shares Bought by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al increased its stake in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 19.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 481,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 79,490 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Booking were worth $78,373,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parcion Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 3rd quarter valued at $245,000. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Booking by 20.0% during the 3rd quarter. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,011 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $490,000 after acquiring an additional 502 shares during the last quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd grew its position in Booking by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd now owns 6,468 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,054,000 after acquiring an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in Booking by 105.1% in the 3rd quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 10,304 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,679,000 after purchasing an additional 5,280 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 29,239 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,779,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking Stock Down 1.5%

BKNG stock opened at $148.13 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $111.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $171.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.25. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $146.28 and a 12-month high of $220.81.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $55.40 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, insider Paulo Pisano sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.06, for a total value of $244,590.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 70,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,479,424. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing 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 Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total value of $79,125.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,133 shares in the company, valued at $3,404,063. The trade was a 2.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 78,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,210,864 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s global travel leadership, high margins and strong cash-flow generation remain important supports for the investment case. Its cash position could provide flexibility for share repurchases, investment and other shareholder returns. Booking vs. Coupang: Which Stock Is the Better Buy in November?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors will be watching for continued progress in loyalty adoption and the Connected Trip initiative, which aims to increase customer engagement and cross-selling across accommodations, flights, rental cars and other travel services. Strong execution could improve longer-term growth expectations. The Connected Trip Gamble
• Neutral Sentiment: BKNG has attracted unusually high investor attention and options activity ahead of earnings. This may increase short-term volatility, but the available reports do not indicate whether traders are positioning for a rise or decline. Booking Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are focused not only on revenue and earnings per share but also on operating metrics and other key indicators for the September quarter. These estimates could set the bar for the earnings reaction. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Currency headwinds could reduce the reported value of international bookings and earnings, while travel disruptions may weigh on demand or create additional costs. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Higher marketing spending may pressure profitability even if bookings and revenue continue to grow. Investors are therefore likely to scrutinize margins, guidance and management’s outlook. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: The shares have declined substantially and are trading near their 12-month low, reflecting elevated expectations risk ahead of the report. Any weak guidance or disappointment in Connected Trip adoption could add further pressure.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on BKNG shares. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial set a $216.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $274.00 price objective (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities initiated coverage on shares of Booking in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $245.00 price objective for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $233.07.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel and restaurant-reservation company that connects consumers with travel providers through digital platforms and mobile applications. Its services include accommodations, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, restaurant reservations and other travel-related offerings.

The company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, Rentalcars.com and Kayak-associated travel services.