Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Stock Price Down 7.2% Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Shares fell 7.2% after Citigroup cut its price target from $281 to $225 (still a buy); the stock traded as low as $189.19 and midday volume was ~527,455 shares, down about 80% from average.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — 13 Buys and 22 Holds leave a MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold with a consensus price target of $282.55, while individual targets range widely among brokers.
• Expedia reported a quarter-beating result (EPS $3.78 vs. $3.32 estimate; revenue $3.55B) and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.48 per share (annualized $1.92), signaling continued cash returns to shareholders.

Shares of Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) dropped 7.2% on Monday after Citigroup lowered their price target on the stock from $281.00 to $225.00. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the stock. Expedia Group traded as low as $189.19 and last traded at $188.7520. Approximately 527,455 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 2,695,567 shares. The stock had previously closed at $203.48.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on EXPE. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $250.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Expedia Group in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Expedia Group from $225.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Expedia Group from $300.00 to $260.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Expedia Group from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Expedia Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $282.55.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Expedia Group news, Director Madhumita Moina Banerjee sold 1,000 shares of Expedia Group stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.00, for a total transaction of $258,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $752,328. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.13% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Expedia Group

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Expedia Group during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 78.6% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Expedia Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Expedia Group during the third quarter worth about $30,000. 90.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Expedia Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market cap of $23.21 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.42. The business's fifty day moving average is $266.70 and its 200-day moving average is $241.60.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.39 earnings per share. Expedia Group's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This is a positive change from Expedia Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Expedia Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 16.24%.

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.

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