Chapin Davis Inc. Makes New Investment in Expedia Group, Inc. $EXPE

Key Points

• Chapin Davis Inc. opened a new position in Expedia Group by buying 17,437 shares worth about $4.94 million, representing 1.2% of its portfolio and the firm's 24th-largest holding.
• Insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares for roughly $1.82 million (a 7.43% cut in his stake), while institutional investors now own 90.76% of Expedia and insiders hold 9.13%.
• Expedia beat Q4 estimates with $3.78 EPS (vs. $3.32 expected) and $3.55B revenue (up 11.4% YoY), and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.48 (from $0.40), a $1.92 annualized payout.

Chapin Davis Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 17,437 shares of the online travel company's stock, valued at approximately $4,940,000. Expedia Group makes up 1.2% of Chapin Davis Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Interchange Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Expedia Group by 139.3% during the fourth quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,896 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,268 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH boosted its position in Expedia Group by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 2,224 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC purchased a new position in Expedia Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $15,948,000. CFC Planning Co LLC boosted its position in Expedia Group by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. CFC Planning Co LLC now owns 3,690 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $1,045,000 after purchasing an additional 528 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its position in Expedia Group by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 24,762 shares of the online travel company's stock worth $7,015,000 after purchasing an additional 4,874 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Expedia Group

In related news, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.82, for a total value of $1,816,244.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 102,480 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,629,633.60. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 9.13% of the company's stock.

Expedia Group Price Performance

Shares of Expedia Group stock opened at $242.17 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $248.46. Expedia Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $144.69 and a 12 month high of $303.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.59, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 16.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th were issued a $0.48 dividend. This is a boost from Expedia Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 5th. Expedia Group's payout ratio is 19.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Expedia Group from $294.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Expedia Group from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised Expedia Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $240.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, March 30th. UBS Group set a $266.00 target price on Expedia Group in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Benchmark reduced their target price on Expedia Group from $310.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Expedia Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $282.74.

Expedia Group 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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