TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . 2,479,413 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 31% from the previous session’s volume of 3,602,308 shares.The stock last traded at $14.9550 and had previously closed at $14.93.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TRIP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BTIG Research downgraded shares of TripAdvisor from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of TripAdvisor in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wedbush boosted their price target on TripAdvisor from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Barclays lowered their price target on TripAdvisor from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on TripAdvisor from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $14.86.

TripAdvisor Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $12.96 and its 200 day moving average is $11.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 141.91, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.86.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The travel company reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by ($0.08). TripAdvisor had a return on equity of 5.73% and a net margin of 0.99%.The business had revenue of $382.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $384.69 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.14 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that TripAdvisor, Inc. will post 0.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at TripAdvisor

In related news, CEO Almir Ambeskovic sold 8,000 shares of TripAdvisor stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.30, for a total transaction of $98,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,396 shares in the company, valued at $423,070.80. The trade was a 18.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TripAdvisor

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TRIP. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in TripAdvisor by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,567,936 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $182,989,000 after buying an additional 721,957 shares in the last quarter. Starboard Value LP lifted its position in shares of TripAdvisor by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Starboard Value LP now owns 9,644,996 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $140,431,000 after acquiring an additional 134,512 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of TripAdvisor by 24.2% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,416,019 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $120,585,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445,607 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of TripAdvisor by 5.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,973,534 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $42,356,000 after acquiring an additional 210,591 shares during the last quarter. Finally, River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of TripAdvisor by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 3,448,718 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $50,213,000 after acquiring an additional 56,159 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a leading online travel company that operates a digital platform for travel information, reviews and booking services. The company’s flagship website and mobile apps allow users to access and contribute travel-related content—ranging from hotel and restaurant reviews to ratings for tours, attractions and vacation rentals—helping consumers plan and book trips around the world.

The core of TripAdvisor’s offering is its community-driven review system, which aggregates user-generated feedback alongside editorial content and professional photography.