Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on BKNG. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $5,000.00 price objective (down from $5,750.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of Booking from $6,500.00 to $5,935.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Booking from $6,250.00 to $5,600.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $6,250.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Mizuho raised shares of Booking from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $6,000.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $5,845.61.

Booking Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of BKNG opened at $4,324.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $136.94 billion, a PE ratio of 26.03, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $4,558.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4,999.32. Booking has a 1-year low of $3,765.45 and a 1-year 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 minted shares will be issued to shareholders after the closing bell on Thursday, April 2nd.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of Booking stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5,191.15, for a total value of $77,867.25. Following the sale, the director owned 687 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,566,320.05. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 40 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $5,105.36, for a total value of $204,214.40. Following the sale, the director directly owned 840 shares in the company, valued at $4,288,502.40. This trade represents a 4.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 2,749 shares of company stock worth $12,571,467 in the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,339,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new position in Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $536,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in Booking by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,327 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $17,820,000 after buying an additional 398 shares during the period. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors raised its stake in Booking by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 3,065 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $16,412,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stock momentum since earnings: Analysts note BKNG has risen roughly 7.2% since its last earnings report as investors digest a beat on revenue and EPS, which has driven positive sentiment and likely analyst re-rating. Why Is Booking Holdings (BKNG) Up 7.2% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case resurfacing: A bullish thesis summarized on InsiderMonkey (from an Investomine Substack note) highlights attractive forward valuation, durable travel demand, and the upcoming 25-for-1 stock split as catalysts that could improve liquidity and investor interest. Is Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector volatility — Expedia focus: Coverage of Expedia’s post-rally volatility and margin risks underscores broader OTAs’ sensitivity to macro and margin pressures; this may temper upside for BKNG even as travel demand holds. Expedia Stock Turns Volatile After Rally. Where Does It Go Next? (BKNG)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears anomalous: March filings show zeroed short-interest figures (likely a reporting/data issue), so short-squeeze risk or bearish positioning is unclear and unlikely to be a near-term driver until corrected.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent short-term pullbacks: Reports note BKNG dipped more than the broader market on March 19 (in the ~1–2% range), reflecting intraday/profit-taking pressure after the post-earnings pop. Booking Holdings (BKNG) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Glenn Fogel sold 669 shares, a small transaction but one that can attract attention; size is modest relative to total holdings so market impact is limited. Glenn Fogel Sells 669 Shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock

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.