Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Rating Reaffirmed as “Buy” by BTIG Research

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by research analysts at BTIG Research in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. They presently have a $250.00 price objective on the business services provider’s stock. BTIG Research‘s price target points to a potential upside of 55.17% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on BKNG. Mizuho set a $240.00 price objective on Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Benchmark raised their price objective on Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial set a $216.00 target price on Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 price target on Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $274.00 price target (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.71.

Booking Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of BKNG traded up $2.74 on Thursday, hitting $161.12. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,387,328 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,133,372. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $179.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.43. Booking has a fifty-two week low of $150.14 and a fifty-two week high of $220.81.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Booking news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 14,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,800,000. This represents a 6.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.06, for a total value of $244,590.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 70,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,479,424. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 84,550 shares of company stock worth $17,426,865 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Booking

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 3,475.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 3,550.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Booking in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its “Buy” rating and assigned a $250 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The call suggests the firm believes Booking’s scale, travel demand exposure, and earnings potential outweigh the near-term risks. BTIG analyst rating report
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to compare Booking with Airbnb, highlighting Booking’s broad brand portfolio and ability to capture global travel demand. However, the comparison offers limited new information about near-term earnings or valuation. Airbnb versus Booking comparison
• Negative Sentiment: The EU opened an investigation into Booking.com over alleged failures to address fake property listings and phishing scams. Regulators are also examining aspects of the platform’s fraud protections and advertising transparency. Potential outcomes include higher compliance costs, stricter oversight, reputational damage, and reduced user trust, making the investigation a clear near-term overhang for BKNG. Reuters EU investigation report
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of the EU action linked Booking’s recent weakness to concerns about online fraud risks, with the stock decreasing even as the broader market gained. The investigation increases uncertainty around regulation and platform safeguards at a time when investors are focused on sustainable growth and margins. EU investigates Booking.com over fraud risks

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel and restaurant-reservation company that connects consumers with travel providers through digital platforms and mobile applications. Its services include accommodations, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, restaurant reservations and other travel-related offerings.

The company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, Rentalcars.com and Kayak-associated travel services.