GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG – Free Report) by 3,629.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 23,385 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 22,758 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $4,168,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its stake in shares of 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 worth $15,171,489,000 after acquiring an additional 2,831,495 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Booking by 1,497.3% in the first quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 870,520 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,665,168,000 after acquiring an additional 816,022 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth $3,271,041,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its position in shares of Booking by 862.0% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 218,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,167,890,000 after purchasing an additional 195,411 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Booking by 3,070.5% during the second quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 194,765 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $34,715,000 after purchasing an additional 188,622 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $1,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,200,000. This trade represents a 23.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total value of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 425,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. The trade was a 12.82% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 68,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,445,375. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Booking Trading Up 0.8%
Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 117.14% and a net margin of 22.23%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $55.40 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.42 EPS for the current year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company set a $214.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. HSBC dropped their target price on Booking from $309.84 to $298.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $175.00 price target (down from $180.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Booking from $248.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Evercore set a $245.00 price target on Booking in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $227.23.
View Our Latest Report on BKNG
Key Stories Impacting Booking
Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share, above the roughly $2.43–$2.45 consensus, while revenue rose 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, topping the $7.19 billion estimate. Booking Beats Q2 CY2026 Sales Expectations
- Positive Sentiment: Travel demand remained resilient: Management said results beat the high end of guidance across key metrics, supported by solid domestic and regional travel demand. This helped ease earlier concerns about Middle East-related disruption and broader travel weakness. Booking Holdings Reports Higher Revenue on Strong Travel Demand
- Positive Sentiment: AI strategy emphasizes monetization: Booking is positioning its platform to own the transaction even when generative AI tools handle itinerary recommendations. The company’s inventory, authentication, cancellation, payment and supplier-settlement capabilities remain important competitive advantages. AI Can Plan the Trip but Booking Holdings Wants the Transaction
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable, with the average brokerage recommendation equivalent to a Buy, although the usefulness of sell-side ratings may be limited because recommendations often skew optimistic. Is It Worth Investing in Booking Holdings Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
- Negative Sentiment: Q3 revenue guidance fell short: Booking forecast third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.4 billion to $9.5 billion, below the $9.7 billion analyst consensus. Continued pressure on long-haul international travel and lingering geopolitical risks could temper the earnings reaction and limit upside.
Booking Profile
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.
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