Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-six research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty-nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $233.7285.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Argus dropped their price objective on shares of Booking from $256.00 to $188.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group set a $259.40 price target on shares of Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Booking in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Booking from $218.24 to $215.08 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Gordon Haskett reduced their price objective on Booking from $217.60 to $214.80 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BKNG opened at $4,194.31 on Friday. Booking has a 52-week low of $3,765.45 and a 52-week high of $5,839.41. The company has a market capitalization of $132.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $255.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $224.57.

Shares of Booking are scheduled to split before the market opens on Monday, April 6th. The 25-1 split was announced on Wednesday, February 18th. The newly issued shares will be distributed to shareholders after the closing bell on Thursday, April 2nd.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $48.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $46.88. Booking had a negative return on equity of 128.99% and a net margin of 20.08%.The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Booking will post 209.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.0%. Booking’s payout ratio is 25.28%.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: D. E. Shaw is reportedly increasing its stake, signaling continued institutional conviction in Booking’s long-term travel recovery and monetization. D. E. Shaw Is Buying This Travel Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Billionaire Ray Dalio / Bridgewater remains a long-term holder of BKNG, which can attract other large investors and support sentiment around the stock following the split. Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG): Billionaire Ray Dalio Likes This Travel Company
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary frames the 25‑for‑1 reverse split as a buying opportunity — coverage arguing the split increases retail accessibility and could trigger re-rating. That narrative may attract momentum buyers around the split. Booking Holdings: The Reverse Split Creates Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Booking added Kurt Sievers (ex‑NXP CEO) to its board, strengthening corporate governance and adding tech/operations expertise that investors often view positively for strategic oversight. Kurt Sievers, Retired CEO of NXP Semiconductors, Appointed to Booking Holdings Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: KAYAK launched an Airfare Trends Dashboard to surface flight-price data; useful for consumer engagement and PR but unlikely to move near-term revenue materially. KAYAK Launches New Airfare Trends Dashboard to Track Flight Prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad market commentary highlights stock‑split euphoria (first big split of 2026), which can lift sentiment for a few sessions but is not a fundamental earnings driver. Wall Street’s First Blockbuster Stock Split of the Year Has Arrived — and This Industry Titan Has Soared 31,800% Over the Last 25 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target for BKNG to $5,377, a move that can weigh on sentiment among momentum and target-driven investors even though the PT remains well above current levels. Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target to $5,377.00

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In related news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 375 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.65, for a total value of $77,867.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 17,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,566,320.05. This represents a 2.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.21, for a total transaction of $204,214.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,288,502.40. This represents a 4.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 68,725 shares of company stock valued at $12,571,467 in the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Booking during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Booking by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 5 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s 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.