Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Price Target Cut by B. Riley Financial

Key Points

• B. Riley cut its Booking price target from $274 to $265 but maintained a Buy rating; the new target implies 56.31% upside from the reported share price of $169.53.
• Analyst views remain broadly positive: MarketBeat cited a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average target of $224.90, although several firms have lowered their targets.
• Booking’s quarterly EPS and revenue topped the estimates cited in the report, but the article also flags pressure on reported revenue and a possible Q4 slowdown amid weaker travel-demand conditions.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by B. Riley Financial from $274.00 to $265.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the business services provider's stock. B. Riley Financial's price target would suggest a potential upside of 56.31% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on BKNG. Wedbush reduced their price objective on shares of Booking from $247.00 to $210.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $215.00 target price (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $188.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Melius Research set a $225.00 price objective on Booking in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $224.90.

Booking Trading Up 8.9%

Booking stock traded up $13.86 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $169.53. The company had a trading volume of 2,223,244 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,109,049. The company has a market cap of $127.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.70. Booking has a fifty-two week low of $146.28 and a fifty-two week high of $220.81.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $9.79 billion for 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 firm's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $99.50 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Booking will post 10.48 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Peter Millones, Jr. sold 50,050 shares of the business'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 transaction of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,851,439.75. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total value of $79,125.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,404,063. This represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 77,425 shares of company stock worth $16,004,164. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the second quarter worth about $11,646,302,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,674.6% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,420,711 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $7,026,348,000 after purchasing an additional 37,999,915 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Booking in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,691,186,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,370,455,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in Booking by 2,525.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 6,101,866 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,087,597,000 after buying an additional 5,869,459 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking beat Q3 adjusted EPS expectations, while room nights grew 7% and adjusted EBITDA rose 9%. Management also pointed to growing AI opportunities. These underlying operating trends offer support despite the weaker reported revenue figure. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts continue to see substantial upside: BTIG reaffirmed its buy rating with a $250 target, while Bank of America and Rosenblatt also maintained buy ratings despite lowering their targets. Analyst forecast changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking-owned OpenTable reported consumer dining trends and named its 2026 top U.S. restaurants. The updates may support the brand’s visibility but offer little direct evidence of a near-term financial impact for Booking. OpenTable dining trends
• Negative Sentiment: Reported Q3 revenue fell short of analyst expectations and declined year over year, with a roughly $900 million FTC-related item weighing on the figure. The company also flagged a Q4 slowdown, as geopolitical conflict, higher airfares, and European uncertainty pressure international travel demand. FTC-related revenue impact
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms cut price targets after results, including JPMorgan ($248 to $205), Barclays ($210 to $170), Bank of America ($232 to $219), and Rosenblatt ($245 to $210). Cantor Fitzgerald lowered its target to $150 and kept a neutral rating, signaling continued caution even as some firms remain bullish. Analyst target changes

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.

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