Seilern Investment Management Ltd Has $2.20 Million Holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Key Points

• Seilern Investment Management increased its Booking Holdings stake by 2,027% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 12,358 shares valued at approximately $2.20 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.42% of BKNG.
• Booking reported quarterly earnings of $2.54 per share and $7.35 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 8.1% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $234.69, though concerns include softer near-term guidance, rising marketing costs and increased competition.

Seilern Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Free Report) by 2,027.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,358 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 11,777 shares during the quarter. Booking makes up approximately 0.3% of Seilern Investment Management Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Seilern Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Booking were worth $2,203,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its stake in shares of Booking by 191,965.8% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,832,970 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $15,171,489,000 after buying an additional 2,831,495 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Booking by 1,497.3% in the first quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 870,520 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,665,168,000 after acquiring an additional 816,022 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Booking by 66,209.8% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 659,783 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $117,600,000 after acquiring an additional 658,788 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Booking during the 4th quarter worth $3,271,041,000. Finally, Czech National Bank raised its position in shares of Booking by 2,412.4% during the 2nd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 220,560 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $39,313,000 after acquiring an additional 211,781 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BKNG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $274.00 price target (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $215.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on Booking from $175.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Booking from $244.00 to $220.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $234.69.

Booking Trading Up 3.4%

BKNG stock opened at $214.42 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $150.14 and a 1-year high of $231.80. The firm has a market cap of $161.11 billion, a PE ratio of 23.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.07. The business's 50-day moving average price is $179.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $176.56.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $55.40 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.43 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 $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Booking's payout ratio is currently 18.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total transaction of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. This represents a 12.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 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 firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $206.70, for a total transaction of $206,700.00. Following the sale, the director owned 15,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,100,500. This trade represents a 6.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 69,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,652,075. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share, above the $2.43 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, surpassing forecasts of $7.19 billion. The results suggested resilient travel demand and helped support the stock’s advance.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism strengthened: UBS raised its price target to $274, while Wedbush, Benchmark and BTIG maintained bullish ratings with targets ranging from $247 to $250. The analyst actions reinforce expectations for additional upside following the earnings report. Booking Given New Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth initiatives remain supportive: Management cited early benefits from artificial-intelligence personalization, cost savings and its connected-trip strategy, potentially improving efficiency and expanding customer engagement. Is Booking Holdings a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides modest shareholder support: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 11. The annualized yield of approximately 0.8% is unlikely to materially change the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Director sale was scheduled in advance: Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $206,700 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. He continues to own 15,000 shares, limiting the significance of the transaction as a bearish signal. Booking Director Stock Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term outlook is less robust: Investors remain cautious about soft third-quarter revenue guidance, moderating room-night growth and marketing expenses rising faster than revenue. Competition from Google, geopolitical uncertainty and technically overbought conditions could limit further gains after the recent rally. Why Analysts Are Bullish on Booking

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel company that operates a portfolio of consumer brands and technology platforms that facilitate the search for and booking of travel services. The company's businesses focus on accommodations, transportation and related travel services through consumer-facing websites and apps as well as partner distribution channels. Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in the late 1990s and adopted the Booking Holdings name in 2018; it is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Its core offerings include online reservations for hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging; flight and car rental search and booking; and ancillary services that support travel planning and on-property experiences.

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