Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Shares Acquired by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 2,333.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 20,851 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 19,994 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Booking were worth $3,717,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Booking by 3,475.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Booking by 3,550.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. First Financial Corp IN raised its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc raised its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

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

Booking Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BKNG opened at $195.13 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.62 billion, a PE 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. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $194.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.29.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $55.40 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $3,200,000. This trade represents a 23.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,508 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 81,550 shares of company stock valued at $16,922,744. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on BKNG. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. 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. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price objective on Booking and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $242.00 price target on Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $236.70.

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.