Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $971.44 EPS

Key Points

• Booking reported quarterly EPS of $999.00, beating the consensus by $971.44, while posting a net margin of 20.08% and a negative return on equity of 128.99%.
• Shares traded down $4.05 to $173.47 after the release; the company has a market cap of $137.36 billion, a PE of 26.11, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 ($1.68 annualized, ~1.0% yield).
• Insiders have been selling stock (CEO Glenn Fogel sold 16,726 shares for about $3.1M), institutional ownership is ~92.4%, and analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with an average target of $232.45.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The business services provider reported $999.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $27.56 by $971.44, Zacks reports. Booking had a net margin of 20.08% and a negative return on equity of 128.99%.

Booking Price Performance

Booking stock traded down $4.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $173.47. The company had a trading volume of 6,553,617 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,392,381. The firm has a market cap of $137.36 billion, a PE ratio of 26.11, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.20. Booking has a one year low of $150.62 and a one year high of $233.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $173.33 and a 200 day moving average of $192.79.

Booking Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. Booking's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.26%.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In other news, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 16,726 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.36, for a total transaction of $3,100,331.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 298,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $55,269,532.64. This trade represents a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.21, for a total transaction of $204,214.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,000 shares in the company, valued at $4,288,502.40. This represents a 4.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,876 shares of company stock valued at $10,559,629. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BKNG. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Blue Sparrow LLC DE bought a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter worth $21,063,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in Booking by 946.1% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 45,036 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $241,183,000 after acquiring an additional 40,731 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments increased its holdings in Booking by 81.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 606 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,247,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitlin John LLC raised its position in Booking by 712.5% in the fourth quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 65 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $348,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on BKNG to $260 and maintained a "buy" rating, implying sizable upside and providing a bullish analyst signal that can support the stock. UBS Adjusts Booking Holdings Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer published a bullish take calling Booking a "compelling entry point" as focus returns to fundamentals — a narrative that can attract value-oriented/long-term buyers ahead of earnings. Booking Offers Compelling Entry Point
• Positive Sentiment: OpenTable (a Booking business) launched a U.S. Restaurant Ambassador Council to gather operator insights — this product/merchant engagement move may help OpenTable retention and revenue growth from restaurants. OpenTable Launches U.S. Restaurant Ambassador Council
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking will post its Q1 2026 earnings press release to its investor site around 4:00 p.m. ET on April 28 — the scheduled release is the main near-term catalyst that could drive bigger intraday moves. Booking to Make Q1 2026 Earnings Press Release Available
• Neutral Sentiment: Market previews and "what to look for" pieces ahead of earnings are circulating; these set expectations but are not new company-specific data. Booking Q1 Preview
• Negative Sentiment: B. Riley trimmed its price target from $272 to $264 (but kept a "buy" rating) — the cut is a mild negative signal on near-term upside expectations. B. Riley Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: An investor letter (Wedgewood) highlighted that investor sentiment and geopolitical events hurt Booking in Q1 — renewed concerns about demand volatility and macro/geopolitical impact can pressure sentiment around the stock. Impact of Investor Sentiment Hurt Booking in Q1
• Negative Sentiment: The EU signaled plans to expand rules targeting cloud and AI services — broader regulatory tightening of digital/cloud and AI ecosystems could raise compliance costs or limit some commercial practices relevant to online platforms. EU to Target Cloud Services and AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry news about airline relief proposals (budget carriers seeking aid) is being watched for its indirect effect on travel demand and fares; impact on Booking will depend on any eventual policy outcome. Budget Airlines Pitch Relief Plan

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BKNG. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Booking from $224.00 to $180.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Booking from $240.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on shares of Booking from $216.28 to $187.92 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Booking presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $232.45.

Booking Company Profile

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.

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