The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $27.38 Million Stock Position in Expedia Group, Inc. $EXPE

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its Expedia Group stake by 88.9% in the first quarter, selling 947,678 shares and retaining 118,576 shares worth approximately $27.38 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.76% of EXPE.
• Expedia reported a strong quarter, with earnings per share of $1.96 versus the $1.41 estimate and revenue of $3.43 billion, up 14.7% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.48, representing a 0.7% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: 17 analysts rate the stock a Buy and 22 rate it a Hold, producing an overall “Hold” rating and average price target of $290.76, below the reported share price of $294.74.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lessened its stake in shares of Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Free Report) by 88.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 118,576 shares of the online travel company's stock after selling 947,678 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.10% of Expedia Group worth $27,378,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Expedia Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Expedia Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Expedia Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in Expedia Group by 970.6% in the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 182 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. 90.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Expedia Group Stock Performance

Shares of Expedia Group stock opened at $294.74 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $36.12 billion, a PE ratio of 25.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.23. Expedia Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $174.05 and a 52 week high of $312.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $252.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $243.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The online travel company reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $3.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.35 billion. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 84.33% and a net margin of 9.81%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 17.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Expedia Group

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citic Securities decreased their price objective on Expedia Group from $337.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wedbush started coverage on Expedia Group in a report on Thursday, July 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $334.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $252.00 to $246.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Gordon Haskett decreased their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $320.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Expedia Group from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $290.76.

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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