Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC Acquires 3,315 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC boosted its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 2,455.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,450 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,315 shares during the period. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC’s holdings in Booking were worth $615,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Financial Corp IN lifted its stake in Booking by 2,400.0% in the second 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, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking Price Performance

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $214.42 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $179.43 and its 200 day moving average is $176.36. The stock has a market cap of $161.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.73, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a twelve month low of $150.14 and a twelve month high of $231.80.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $55.40 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.58%.

Trending Headlines about Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share, above the $2.43 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, surpassing forecasts of $7.19 billion. The results suggested resilient travel demand and helped support the stock’s advance.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism strengthened: UBS raised its price target to $274, while Wedbush, Benchmark and BTIG maintained bullish ratings with targets ranging from $247 to $250. The analyst actions reinforce expectations for additional upside following the earnings report. Booking Given New Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth initiatives remain supportive: Management cited early benefits from artificial-intelligence personalization, cost savings and its connected-trip strategy, potentially improving efficiency and expanding customer engagement. Is Booking Holdings a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides modest shareholder support: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 11. The annualized yield of approximately 0.8% is unlikely to materially change the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Director sale was scheduled in advance: Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $206,700 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. He continues to own 15,000 shares, limiting the significance of the transaction as a bearish signal. Booking Director Stock Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term outlook is less robust: Investors remain cautious about soft third-quarter revenue guidance, moderating room-night growth and marketing expenses rising faster than revenue. Competition from Google, geopolitical uncertainty and technically overbought conditions could limit further gains after the recent rally. Why Analysts Are Bullish on Booking

Insider Activity at Booking

In related news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total transaction of $10,229,375.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 425,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,572,025.25. The trade was a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total transaction of $216,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 16,508 shares in the company, valued at $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% 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 a total of 69,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,652,075 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BKNG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Gordon Haskett lifted their price target on shares of Booking from $217.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $236.00 target price (up from $225.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 target price on shares of Booking and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Truist Financial set a $242.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $240.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $234.69.

About Booking

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.