Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Trading 8.2% Higher - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Expedia Group shares jumped 8.2% on Wednesday, trading as high as $261.95 after closing at $245.07 the previous session.
• Recent analyst sentiment was mixed but broadly positive, with several firms lifting price targets and Wall Street Zen upgrading the stock to strong-buy; the consensus rating remains Hold with an average target price of $284.42.
• Last quarter’s results beat expectations, as Expedia posted EPS of $1.96 versus $1.41 expected and revenue of $3.43 billion, up 14.7% year over year; the company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.48 per share.

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 8.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $261.95 and last traded at $265.0860. 173,796 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 2,178,689 shares. The stock had previously closed at $245.07.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on EXPE shares. Barclays increased their price objective on Expedia Group from $260.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Expedia Group from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Expedia Group from $260.00 to $250.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Expedia Group from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Expedia Group from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $284.42.

Expedia Group Price Performance

The business's fifty day moving average price is $235.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $246.27. The company has a market capitalization of $32.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The online travel company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.55. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 84.33% and a net margin of 9.81%.The business had revenue of $3.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.40 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 17.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 28th were issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 28th. Expedia Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.90%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.86, for a total transaction of $208,548.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 14,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,124,454.38. This trade represents a 6.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 4,702 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.00, for a total value of $1,095,566.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 105,448 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,569,384. The trade was a 4.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CI Investments Inc. grew its position in Expedia Group by 1,735.0% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 42,223 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $9,025,000 after acquiring an additional 39,922 shares during the last quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,164,000. 44 Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,358,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 48.6% during the third quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 43,222 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $9,239,000 after purchasing an additional 14,143 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 2.8% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 237,523 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $50,771,000 after purchasing an additional 6,570 shares during the period. 90.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Expedia Group Company Profile

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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