Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target Raised to $274.00

Key Points

• UBS Group raised Booking’s price target from $266 to $274 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 32.26% upside from the prior close. The analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $234.98.
• Booking exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.54 in adjusted EPS versus $2.43 expected and $7.35 billion in revenue versus $7.19 billion forecast; revenue increased 8.1% year over year.
• Despite strong travel demand and technology initiatives, investors face near-term risks from geopolitical volatility, a below-consensus third-quarter revenue outlook, rising marketing costs and competitive pressure from Google.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by analysts at UBS Group from $266.00 to $274.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the business services provider's stock. UBS Group's price target would indicate a potential upside of 32.26% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 target price (down from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Truist Financial set a $242.00 price target on Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $274.00 target price (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Gordon Haskett upped their price objective on shares of Booking from $217.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $234.98.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BKNG traded up $12.90 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $207.17. 8,435,599 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,592,728. The company's fifty day moving average is $176.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.82. Booking has a fifty-two week low of $150.14 and a fifty-two week high of $231.80. The stock has a market cap of $160.53 billion, a PE ratio of 27.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.07.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 117.14% and a net margin of 22.23%.The company had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $55.40 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Booking will post 10.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In related news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total value of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. The trade was a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through 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 company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 16,508 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 68,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,445,375. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Booking by 3,475.0% in the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in Booking by 3,550.0% in the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in Booking in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share versus the $2.43–$2.45 consensus, while revenue reached $7.35 billion versus $7.19 billion expected. Revenue rose 8.1% year over year, supported by higher room nights, gross bookings and continued travel demand. Booking Holdings Q2 results top estimates as travel demand remains resilient
• Positive Sentiment: Operating momentum and technology initiatives supported the outlook: Management highlighted resilient demand, margin gains, increased savings, early artificial-intelligence benefits and progress toward personalized and “connected trip” offerings. The strong report prompted a roughly 5% post-earnings rally. BKNG Q2 Earnings Call Centers on Resilience, AI and Savings
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts became more bullish: Wedbush raised its price target from $211 to $247 and upgraded the stock to “outperform.” Benchmark lifted its target from $220 to $250 and initiated a “buy” rating, while BTIG reaffirmed “buy” with a $250 target. Analyst rating and price target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a focus: Supporters view BKNG as attractively valued relative to its growth and shareholder returns, while the company’s wide competitive moat supports the bullish thesis. However, the stock has not kept pace with the broader market year to date, leaving investors sensitive to execution and forward guidance. Booking Holdings: At 1x PEG and Healthy Travel Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term uncertainty persists: Management cited Middle East conflict and related geopolitical volatility as risks, particularly for long-haul international travel. Third-quarter revenue guidance of $9.4–$9.5 billion was below the approximately $9.7 billion analyst consensus. Marketing expenses also grew faster than revenue, raising concerns about customer-acquisition costs and competitive pressure from Google. Booking Holdings Stock Surges Despite Middle East Volatility

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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