Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Hits New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Key Points

• Expedia Group achieved a new 52-week high of $216.11 following stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings, reporting an EPS of $4.24, exceeding estimates by $0.11.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, indicating a 0.8% yield and an annualized payout of $1.60.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on Expedia Group, with a mix of price target adjustments from several financial institutions indicating ongoing optimism about its stock performance.

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $216.11 and last traded at $207.42, with a volume of 83895 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $187.61.

The online travel company reported $4.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.13 by $0.11. Expedia Group had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 56.25%. The firm had revenue of $3.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.51 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Expedia Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 28th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 28th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Expedia Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. BTIG Research set a $250.00 price target on Expedia Group and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Expedia Group from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America raised their price target on Expedia Group from $211.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays raised their price target on Expedia Group from $190.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Expedia Group in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $206.04.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Expedia Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Expedia Group by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,346 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Expedia Group by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 16,789 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $2,832,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Altman Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Expedia Group by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Altman Advisors Inc. now owns 13,338 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $2,093,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Expedia Group by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 558 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $94,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Consilio Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Expedia Group by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Consilio Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,786 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $305,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. 90.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Expedia Group Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.72 billion, a PE ratio of 24.80, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.61. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $177.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.82.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc operates as an online travel company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through B2C, B2B, and trivago segments. Its B2C segment includes Brand Expedia, a full-service online travel brand offers various travel products and services; Hotels.com for lodging accommodations; Vrbo, an online marketplace for the alternative accommodations; Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif Group, ebookers, CheapTickets, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com.