Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Buys 85,592 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Key Points

• Envestnet Portfolio Solutions increased its Booking Holdings stake by 2,549.7% in the second quarter, purchasing 85,592 additional shares for a total holding of 88,949 shares valued at approximately $16.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.42% of the company.
• Booking shares have fallen sharply, opening at $155.90 and declining about 18.6% in September, as investors worry that AI travel agents—particularly Meta’s Muse—could bypass online travel agencies and pressure customer acquisition, commissions and traffic.
• Despite the selloff, analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $236.98. Booking recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, while insiders sold $17.2 million of stock during the last quarter.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Free Report) by 2,549.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 88,949 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 85,592 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Booking were worth $16,077,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter worth approximately $62,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s long-term investment case remains supported by expected growth in global travel demand and its established portfolio of brands, including Booking.com and Priceline. The company’s scale, customer base and broad lodging inventory could help it continue benefiting from travel expansion. Booking Holdings Is Positioned to Benefit From Long-Term Travel Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly reduced its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast for Booking to $12.33 from $12.36. Although the adjustment is minor, it reflects limited near-term earnings momentum; the broader consensus estimate for the current fiscal year is $10.48 per share. Booking Holdings Analyst Estimate Update
• Negative Sentiment: The primary catalyst for the selloff is concern that Meta Platforms’ Muse personal AI agent could allow travelers to search and book trips directly, bypassing online travel aggregators. That threatens Booking’s customer-acquisition economics, traffic, commissions and long-term competitive position. Expedia and Airbnb also declined, suggesting the market is repricing the entire travel-booking business model. Travel Booking Stocks Tumble as Muse Threatens to Bypass Them
• Negative Sentiment: BKNG has declined about 18.6% during September, putting it on track for its weakest month since June 2022. Reports also highlight concerns about AI agents and competition involving Etraveli, reinforcing fears that structural disruption—not merely short-term market volatility—is weighing on the shares. Booking Holdings Eyes Worst Month Since June 2022

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $234.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Booking from $210.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Mizuho set a $240.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Booking from $266.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $236.98.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 50,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total transaction of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 375,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $77,851,439.75. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 14,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 83,050 shares of company stock worth $17,182,274 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Booking Trading Down 5.1%

Shares of Booking stock opened at $155.90 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $117.14 billion, a PE ratio of 17.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50 day moving average of $192.38 and a 200-day moving average of $179.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $150.14 and a 1-year high of $225.00.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.19 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $55.40 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Booking's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.58%.

Booking Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global provider of online travel and related services. The company connects consumers with accommodations, flights, rental cars, restaurants and travel experiences through a portfolio of digital brands and websites.

Its principal brands include Booking.com, which offers lodging, transportation and travel experiences; Priceline, which provides online booking services for hotels, flights, rental cars and vacation packages; Agoda, which focuses primarily on travel bookings in Asia and other international markets; KAYAK, a travel metasearch engine; OpenTable, a restaurant reservation and management platform; and Rentalcars.com, a global car rental service.

Booking Holdings serves customers, travel providers and restaurants across numerous countries and regions, with a particularly extensive international presence.

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