Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Stake Increased by Americana Partners LLC

Americana Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 1,359.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,364 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,530 shares during the quarter. Americana Partners LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $6,739,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its position in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the second 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 period. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the third quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s global travel leadership, high margins and strong cash-flow generation remain important supports for the investment case. Its cash position could provide flexibility for share repurchases, investment and other shareholder returns. Booking vs. Coupang: Which Stock Is the Better Buy in November?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors will be watching for continued progress in loyalty adoption and the Connected Trip initiative, which aims to increase customer engagement and cross-selling across accommodations, flights, rental cars and other travel services. Strong execution could improve longer-term growth expectations. The Connected Trip Gamble
• Neutral Sentiment: BKNG has attracted unusually high investor attention and options activity ahead of earnings. This may increase short-term volatility, but the available reports do not indicate whether traders are positioning for a rise or decline. Booking Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are focused not only on revenue and earnings per share but also on operating metrics and other key indicators for the September quarter. These estimates could set the bar for the earnings reaction. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Currency headwinds could reduce the reported value of international bookings and earnings, while travel disruptions may weigh on demand or create additional costs. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Higher marketing spending may pressure profitability even if bookings and revenue continue to grow. Investors are therefore likely to scrutinize margins, guidance and management’s outlook. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: The shares have declined substantially and are trading near their 12-month low, reflecting elevated expectations risk ahead of the report. Any weak guidance or disappointment in Connected Trip adoption could add further pressure.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, insider Paulo Pisano sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $610,440.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 73,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,935,432. This represents a 3.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter Millones, Jr. sold 50,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 375,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,851,439.75. This trade represents a 11.77% 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 sold 78,425 shares of company stock worth $16,210,864 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Booking Trading Down 1.5%

BKNG opened at $148.13 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $171.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $177.25. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $146.28 and a 1-year high of $220.81. The company has a market cap of $111.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.13.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last released 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. The company had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The business’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $55.40 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is 18.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BKNG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $216.00 target price on shares of Booking and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Rosenblatt Securities began coverage on shares of Booking in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $245.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $215.00 price target (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Booking from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Booking currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.07.

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.