Benchmark Issues Positive Forecast for Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Price

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) had its price objective raised by Benchmark from $6,200.00 to $6,400.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $6,000.00 price objective (up previously from $5,700.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Booking to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $5,900.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Booking from $6,450.00 to $6,630.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $6,700.00 target price (up previously from $6,100.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Booking currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $6,132.29.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of BKNG opened at $5,075.86 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $164.51 billion, a PE ratio of 32.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.35. Booking has a fifty-two week low of $4,096.23 and a fifty-two week high of $5,839.41. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $5,406.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5,386.27.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $99.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $95.56 by $3.94. The business had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.71 billion. Booking had a net margin of 19.37% and a negative return on equity of 129.67%. The business’s revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $83.39 earnings per share. Booking has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Booking will post 209.92 EPS for the current year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $9.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $38.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is 26.71%.

Insider Activity at Booking

In related news, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 1,013 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,516.92, for a total transaction of $5,588,639.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 23,607 shares in the company, valued at $130,237,930.44. This represents a 4.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,291.98, for a total transaction of $79,379.70. Following the transaction, the director owned 732 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,873,729.36. This trade represents a 2.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 3,197 shares of company stock worth $17,260,963 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atwood & Palmer Inc. bought a new position in Booking during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Booking by 400.0% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 5 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 4 shares during the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 150.0% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 5 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Booking during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, O Brien Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Booking during the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc, formerly The Priceline Group Inc, is a provider of travel and restaurant online reservation and related services. The Company, through its online travel companies (OTCs), connects consumers wishing to make travel reservations with providers of travel services across the world. It offers consumers an array of accommodation reservations (including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, vacation rentals and other properties) through its Booking.com, priceline.com and agoda.com brands.