Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Expedia Group from "strong‑buy" to "buy"; across firms there are 13 Buy and 22 Hold ratings, leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" with a consensus target of $281.65.
• Quarterly results beat expectations: Expedia reported $3.78 EPS vs $3.32 expected and $3.55 billion revenue (up 11.4% year‑over‑year), with ROE of 72.23% and a net margin of 8.78%; analysts forecast $12.28 EPS for the year.
• Shares opened at $235.18 (52‑week range $130.01–$303.80) with a market cap of $28.82 billion and a P/E of 23.88; insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares and institutional investors own roughly 90.76% of the stock.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of Expedia Group in a report on Monday, March 16th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $281.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $244.00 price target on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $280.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Expedia Group has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $281.65.

Expedia Group Price Performance

EXPE stock opened at $235.18 on Friday. Expedia Group has a 52-week low of $130.01 and a 52-week high of $303.80. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $241.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.41.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.46. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 72.23% and a net margin of 8.78%.The firm had revenue of $3.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Expedia Group will post 12.28 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Expedia Group

In related news, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares of Expedia Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.82, for a total transaction of $1,816,244.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 102,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,629,633.60. The trade was a 7.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 9.13% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Expedia Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Expedia Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Expedia Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Expedia Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Expedia Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 90.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group NASDAQ: EXPE is a global travel technology company that operates an online marketplace connecting consumers, travel suppliers and third‑party partners. The company's platform enables search, comparison and booking of travel products and services, including hotels, airline tickets, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises and packaged travel. Its portfolio comprises consumer-facing travel brands as well as corporate travel solutions and technology services that serve both leisure and business travelers.

Key offerings include consumer booking platforms and mobile apps that aggregate inventory from hotels, vacation rental managers, airlines and car rental companies, alongside ancillary travel services such as trip insurance and activities.

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.