Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Given Buy Rating at BTIG Research

Key Points

• BTIG Research reaffirmed its Buy rating on Booking and set a $250 price target, implying 60.6% upside from the prior close. Analysts’ consensus is Moderate Buy, with an average target of $228.53.
• Booking beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $4.66 versus a $4.49 estimate and revenue of $9.79 billion versus $9.55 billion expected, though revenue declined year over year.
• The outlook faces headwinds: Booking warned of slower fourth-quarter growth amid pressure on international travel, while a legal-related impact weighed on reported revenue.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at BTIG Research in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $250.00 target price on the business services provider's stock. BTIG Research's target price suggests a potential upside of 60.60% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial set a $216.00 price target on shares of Booking and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Booking from $245.00 to $210.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $215.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Booking from $210.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Booking currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $228.53.

Booking Stock Up 1.2%

NASDAQ BKNG opened at $155.67 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $116.97 billion, a PE ratio of 17.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.17. Booking has a 52 week low of $146.28 and a 52 week high of $220.81. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $168.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $176.70.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $4.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $9.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.55 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $99.50 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Booking will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Booking

In related news, VP Peter Millones, Jr. sold 50,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total transaction of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at $77,851,439.75. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 70,400 shares in the company, valued at $11,479,424. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 77,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,004,164 in the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Accuvest Global Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the 3rd quarter valued at $499,000. StoneRidge PMG Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the 3rd quarter worth about $577,000. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Booking by 378.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,603,000 after buying an additional 17,494 shares during the period. Carret Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Booking by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Carret Asset Management LLC now owns 4,215 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $687,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Family Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Booking in the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.42% of the company's stock.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking reported adjusted Q3 EPS of $4.66, above the roughly $4.49 analyst estimate. Room nights grew 7% and adjusted EBITDA rose 9%; adjusted revenue increased 9% excluding a one-time legal-related impact. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted AI as an opportunity to improve travel planning and the customer experience, which could support Booking’s long-term competitiveness. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Reported revenue fell about 1% to $8.89 billion, below analyst expectations, while profit also declined. A roughly $900 million revenue impact tied to FTC action was a major drag on the reported results. Reuters report on FTC-related revenue impact
• Negative Sentiment: Booking warned of slower Q4 growth as international travel faces pressure from Middle East conflict, higher airfares and turmoil in Europe—raising concerns that demand momentum may cool. Travel-demand headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target to $205 from $248, and Barclays lowered its target to $170 from $210, signaling reduced expectations for the shares. JPMorgan target change Barclays target change

About Booking

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.

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