Argus Cuts Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target to $4,700.00

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) had its target price cut by Argus from $6,400.00 to $4,700.00 in a report released on Monday,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a buy rating on the business services provider’s stock.

BKNG has been the subject of a number of other reports. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $7,746.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Booking from $6,500.00 to $5,935.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $5,920.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Susquehanna set a $6,500.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, B. Riley Financial increased their price target on shares of Booking from $6,700.00 to $6,800.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Twenty-nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $5,867.09.

Booking Stock Up 2.3%

BKNG stock opened at $4,163.00 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $4,924.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5,151.74. The company has a market cap of $131.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.06, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.21. Booking has a 12-month low of $3,765.45 and a 12-month high of $5,839.41.

Booking shares are scheduled to split on Monday, April 6th. The 25-1 split was announced on Wednesday, February 18th. The newly created shares will be payable to shareholders after the closing bell on Thursday, April 2nd.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $48.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $47.96 by $0.84. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Booking had a net margin of 20.08% and a negative return on equity of 128.99%. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $41.55 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Booking will post 209.92 EPS for the current year.

Booking Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $10.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $42.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Booking’s previous quarterly dividend of $9.60. Booking’s payout ratio is currently 23.11%.

Insider Activity at Booking

In other news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5,362.00, for a total value of $80,430.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,764,124. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 953 shares of Booking stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5,181.34, for a total value of $4,937,817.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 19,615 shares in the company, valued at $101,631,984.10. The trade was a 4.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,108 shares of company stock worth $15,287,682. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Booking by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,997,949 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $16,055,006,000 after acquiring an additional 23,159 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its stake in Booking by 191,965.8% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,832,970 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $15,171,489,000 after purchasing an additional 2,831,495 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Booking by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,435,116 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $7,685,520,000 after purchasing an additional 6,976 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Booking by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 966,121 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,173,899,000 after purchasing an additional 128,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Booking by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 854,838 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,936,132,000 after purchasing an additional 9,333 shares during the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company catalysts: Booking announced a 25-for-1 stock split and a $10.50 quarterly dividend, and investors are focusing on new revenue streams that could reframe the company’s cash-generation profile. Should Booking’s Stock Split, Dividend and New Revenue Streams Reframe How BKNG Investors View Its Cash Engine?
• Positive Sentiment: New monetization: OpenTable launched OpenTable Media, enabling advertising and brand partnerships that create a new paid-revenue stream for Booking’s ecosystem. OpenTable Launches New Media Network, Connecting Brands with Millions of Global Diners
• Positive Sentiment: Industry positioning: Morgan Stanley and other analysts argue Booking is well positioned to remain a travel leader through the agentic AI transition, reducing disruption risk and supporting long-term growth expectations. Booking to Remain Travel Leader in Agentic AI Shift, Morgan Stanley Says
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and positive narratives: Several bullish write-ups and an upgrade to Buy highlight Booking’s durable margins, cash flow and low-debt structure as reasons to own the stock. Booking lifted to Buy as analyst says it will remain a ‘key driver of travel’
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage and investor guides: Several media pieces and screeners are discussing whether BKNG is a buy or a dividend stock, increasing investor attention but not providing a clear directional signal. Is Trending Stock Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend-investor discussion: Coverage weighing Booking as a dividend play has appeared but doesn’t change near-term fundamentals. Is Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) a Good Dividend Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest note: February short-interest data in the feed is effectively zero/invalid and provides no clear pressure signal. (Data appears to be reporting 0 shares / NaN changes.)
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target cuts and bearish research: Jefferies trimmed its price target to $4,500 and Argus issued a pessimistic forecast—these lower expectations can cap upside and add selling pressure for investors focused on near-term valuation. Jefferies Financial Group Lowers Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target to $4,500.00 Argus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Price

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel company that operates a portfolio of consumer brands and technology platforms that facilitate the search for and booking of travel services. The company’s businesses focus on accommodations, transportation and related travel services through consumer-facing websites and apps as well as partner distribution channels. Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in the late 1990s and adopted the Booking Holdings name in 2018; it is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Its core offerings include online reservations for hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging; flight and car rental search and booking; and ancillary services that support travel planning and on-property experiences.