FY2027 EPS Estimates for Booking Lifted by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised Booking’s FY2027 EPS estimate to $12.36 from $12.33, above the broader consensus estimate of $10.48.
• Booking’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $2.54 versus $2.43 expected and revenue of $7.35 billion versus a $7.19 billion consensus; revenue increased 8.1% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $236.70. Booking also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, yielding approximately 1.0% annually.

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 EPS estimates for shares of Booking in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, September 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the business services provider will post earnings of $12.36 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $12.33. The consensus estimate for Booking's current full-year earnings is $10.48 per share.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $55.40 EPS.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $274.00 price objective (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Rosenblatt Securities assumed coverage on Booking in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $245.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 target price on Booking and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group raised their price target on Booking from $266.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $188.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Two equities research analysts have 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 currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $236.70.

Booking Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BKNG opened at $173.92 on Monday. Booking has a 12-month low of $150.14 and a 12-month high of $225.00. The company has a market capitalization of $130.68 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.07. The firm's 50-day moving average is $193.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $179.10.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Booking by 3,475.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Booking by 3,550.0% in the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Financial Corp IN grew its holdings 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc grew its holdings in Booking by 2,400.0% in the second quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In other Booking news, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total transaction of $4,220,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 59,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,618,327.82. This represents a 25.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 50,050 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the sale, the vice president owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at $77,851,439.75. This trade represents a 11.77% decrease in their position. 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 sold 81,550 shares of company stock worth $16,922,744 in the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Booking Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Booking's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.58%.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is a global provider of online travel and related services. The company connects consumers with accommodations, flights, rental cars, restaurants and travel experiences through a portfolio of digital brands and websites.

Its principal brands include Booking.com, which offers lodging, transportation and travel experiences; Priceline, which provides online booking services for hotels, flights, rental cars and vacation packages; Agoda, which focuses primarily on travel bookings in Asia and other international markets; KAYAK, a travel metasearch engine; OpenTable, a restaurant reservation and management platform; and Rentalcars.com, a global car rental service.

Booking Holdings serves customers, travel providers and restaurants across numerous countries and regions, with a particularly extensive international presence.

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