Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Rated “Hold” in New Coverage at Citizens Jmp

Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) in a report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage set a “hold” rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BKNG. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and set a $200.00 target price (down from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 target price on Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. DA Davidson set a $240.00 target price on Booking in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $188.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $222.35.

Booking Trading Up 9.8%

BKNG opened at $170.97 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $168.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $176.51. Booking has a 12-month low of $146.28 and a 12-month high of $220.81. The firm has a market cap of $128.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.45, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.17.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $4.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.17. Booking had a negative return on equity of 95.02% and a net margin of 25.52%. The firm had revenue of $9.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $99.50 EPS. Booking’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Booking will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Booking news, Director Robert Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 14,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total value of $4,220,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,794 shares in the company, valued at $12,618,327.82. This represents a 25.06% decrease in their position. 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 77,425 shares of company stock worth $16,004,165 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BKNG. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 2nd quarter worth about $11,646,302,000. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Booking by 2,674.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,420,711 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $7,026,348,000 after acquiring an additional 37,999,915 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,691,186,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,370,455,000. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd raised its position in shares of Booking by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 6,489,929 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,057,274,000 after acquiring an additional 64,584 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking reported adjusted Q3 EPS of $4.66, beating estimates, while room nights grew 7% and adjusted revenue rose 9%. The company also exceeded its guidance for room nights and gross bookings, supporting the view that travel demand remains resilient. Booking stock jumps as Q3 results spotlight margin strength
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts cut price targets after the results, including JPMorgan, Citi and Barclays, but generally maintained positive ratings. The revisions reflect more cautious expectations, though most targets cited remain above the recent share price. Analysts lower forecasts after Q3 results
• Negative Sentiment: Reported revenue fell short of expectations and declined year over year, partly due to an approximately $900 million revenue impact linked to FTC action. Management also signaled some moderation in travel demand and slower growth in Q4, citing softer international demand and geopolitical and airfare pressures. Booking takes revenue hit linked to FTC action Booking sees moderation in demand

Booking Company Profile

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.