Insider Selling: Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Insider Sells $610,440.00 in Stock

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNGGet Free Report) insider Paulo Pisano sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $610,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 73,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,935,432. The trade was a 3.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Booking Price Performance

Shares of BKNG opened at $195.13 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $194.07 and a 200-day moving average of $178.29. The company has a market capitalization of $146.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.14 and a 1 year high of $226.10.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNGGet Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The business had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $55.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is 18.58%.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt initiated coverage with a Strong Buy recommendation and reportedly set a $245 price target, indicating substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view may support BKNG by highlighting its positioning among online travel companies. Rosenblatt initiates coverage of Booking Holdings
  • Positive Sentiment: Booking’s capital-return profile remains attractive. A recent analysis noted that the company’s dividend and share repurchases together produce a total shareholder yield above 7%, which could appeal to value and income-oriented investors. Booking Holdings dividend and buyback analysis
  • Positive Sentiment: Fundamentally, the latest quarter included earnings of $2.54 per share versus a $2.43 consensus estimate and revenue of $7.35 billion versus expectations of $7.19 billion. Revenue grew 8.1% year over year, while Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is generally favorable, but the stock’s post-earnings performance indicates that strong results have not yet translated into sustained upward momentum. Investors are likely focused on updated forecasts and the outlook for travel demand.
  • Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling adds a modest negative headline. Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $200,000, following insider Paulo Pisano’s sale of 3,000 shares for approximately $610,440. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their value as signals of deteriorating business prospects. Booking Holdings director stock sale

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BKNG. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Booking in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Booking during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Booking in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (up from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wedbush upped their target price on Booking from $211.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Benchmark raised their target price on Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $236.70.

View Our Latest Research Report on Booking

Booking Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Insider Buying and Selling by Quarter for Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG)

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