BTIG Research Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG)

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at BTIG Research in a note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. They presently have a $250.00 target price on the business services provider’s stock. BTIG Research‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 55.56% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Booking from $266.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 target price on shares of Booking and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Booking has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.71.

Booking Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ BKNG traded up $2.33 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $160.71. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,491,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,128,455. Booking has a fifty-two week low of $150.14 and a fifty-two week high of $220.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.78, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $179.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.43.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $55.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Booking will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Booking news, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total transaction of $4,220,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,618,327.82. The trade was a 25.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 3,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $610,440.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 73,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,935,432. This trade represents a 3.93% 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 90 days, insiders sold 84,550 shares of company stock valued at $17,426,865. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in Booking by 1,615.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 13,931 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,483,000 after acquiring an additional 13,119 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new stake in Booking in the 2nd quarter worth about $11,687,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 2,860.8% in the 2nd quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 12,554 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,238,000 after acquiring an additional 12,130 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Booking by 2,549.7% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 88,949 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $16,077,000 after acquiring an additional 85,592 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 1,663.9% in the 2nd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 28,698 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,115,000 after acquiring an additional 27,071 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking News Summary

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.