Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Position Increased by Calamos Advisors LLC

Calamos Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 1.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 262,789 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,846 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $42,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the first quarter valued at approximately $345,000. Alesco Advisors LLC An ESL Co purchased a new position in Booking in the 1st quarter valued at $400,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its stake in Booking by 163.6% in the 1st quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors now owns 116 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Inceptionr LLC acquired a new position in Booking in the 1st quarter valued at $505,000. Finally, Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS purchased a new position in Booking during the 1st quarter worth $509,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking Stock Down 4.8%

Shares of NASDAQ BKNG traded down $8.06 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $160.66. The company had a trading volume of 7,907,758 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,818,136. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.17. Booking Holdings Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.28 and a twelve month high of $220.81. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $166.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $176.13.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $4.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.17. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The company had revenue of $9.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.55 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $99.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s AI initiatives are drawing favorable attention. A Seeking Alpha article upgraded its rating, arguing AI could help drive revenue, while CEO Glenn Fogel described AI as a “big positive” for the company. Booking Holdings: AI Proves To Be A Revenue Multiplier (Rating Upgrade) AI is starting to help Booking’s business. Its stock should benefit
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated its Buy rating. Separately, Booking-backed Lola launched a service to help members get access to sought-after restaurant reservations and event tickets, with more cities planned. TD Cowen Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Booking Holdings Lola Launches Lola VIP Drops
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent third-quarter results beat Booking’s own guidance on room nights, gross bookings and adjusted revenue, supporting the earlier share rally. These results provide a positive business backdrop, but may be outweighed today by competitive and analyst concerns. Booking Stock Jumps As Q3 Results Spotlight Margin Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Airbnb reported its fastest revenue growth in more than three years and raised its outlook, lifting its shares while Booking and Expedia fell. The news may renew concerns about competition and relative growth prospects in online travel. Airbnb Jumps on Growth and Raised Outlook; Booking and Expedia Fall
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyst actions point to a more cautious view: JPMorgan lowered its expectations, and Barclays and UBS cut their price targets. A downgrade also accompanied coverage of Booking shares, adding to near-term pressure. JPMorgan Lowers Expectations for Booking Barclays Lowers Booking Price Target UBS Cuts Booking Price Target

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Peter Millones, Jr. sold 50,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 375,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,851,439.75. This trade represents a 11.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 14,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,800,000. This represents a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 77,425 shares of company stock worth $16,004,164. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Booking from $248.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $216.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Mizuho set a $205.00 target price on Booking in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised Booking to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $240.00 price target (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Booking currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $222.35.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is an online travel company that connects travelers with accommodations and other travel services. Through its digital platforms, customers can search for and book hotels, vacation rentals, flights, rental cars, attractions and other travel experiences.

The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable. Its services span accommodation reservations, travel search and comparison, car rentals, and restaurant reservations.

Booking Holdings traces its history to Priceline, which was founded in 1997.