QRG Capital Management Inc. Purchases 23,664 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its Booking Holdings stake by 4,630.9% in the second quarter, purchasing 23,664 additional shares for a total position valued at $4.31 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.42% of BKNG.
• Booking exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.54 in EPS and $7.35 billion in revenue, up 8.1% year over year. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, equal to a 1.0% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $236.98, although concerns remain over slowing projected revenue growth of 4%–6% and potential disruption from AI-powered travel tools.

QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Free Report) by 4,630.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,175 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 23,664 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Booking were worth $4,309,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Booking in the second quarter valued at approximately $11,646,302,000. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Booking by 2,674.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,420,711 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $7,026,348,000 after buying an additional 37,999,915 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the second quarter valued at about $1,691,186,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the second quarter worth about $1,370,455,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,525.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 6,101,866 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,087,597,000 after buying an additional 5,869,459 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company's stock.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $250 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels. The firm also said investor concerns that AI agents could disrupt Booking’s business are overstated. BTIG thinks AI agent fears with Booking Holdings are overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Emerald Wealth Partners added Booking Holdings to its portfolio, citing AI-related growth opportunities. The purchase provides an institutional endorsement as the market reassesses Booking’s ability to benefit from AI rather than only face disruption from it. Emerald Wealth Partners Added Booking Holdings as AI Creates New Growth Opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted BKNG as a potentially attractive long-term growth stock, while another recent analyst overview included Booking among consumer-cyclical companies under consideration. These reports may support sentiment, although they provide limited new company-specific financial information. Why Booking Holdings is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on hotel stocks and analyst commentary on Booking offer broader industry context but do not identify a major new catalyst for BKNG. Best Hotel Stocks To Research
• Negative Sentiment: Expedia’s partnership with Meta’s Muse AI platform intensified fears that AI-powered travel tools could reduce traffic and pricing power for online travel agencies, contributing to a recent selloff in BKNG. Booking Holdings Stock Drops as Expedia Partners With Meta’s Muse AI Platform
• Negative Sentiment: Booking’s expected third-quarter revenue growth of only 4% to 6% raises concern that its post-pandemic slowdown may be structural rather than temporary. Despite strong operating margins, BKNG has significantly underperformed the broader market this year. Is Booking’s Slowdown a Pause or Its New Pace?

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of Booking stock opened at $163.95 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $191.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $178.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $123.19 billion, a PE ratio of 18.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $150.14 and a 52-week high of $225.00.

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

Booking Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Booking's payout ratio is currently 18.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BKNG. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 target price on Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $220.00 target price on Booking and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a "positive" rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $236.98.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In related news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 14,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,800,000. The trade was a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total value of $4,220,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 59,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,618,327.82. This trade represents a 25.06% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 83,050 shares of company stock worth $17,182,274. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Booking

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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