Vanguard Group Inc. Has $4.19 Billion Stake in Expedia Group, Inc. $EXPE

Key Points

• Vanguard trimmed its stake in Expedia by 2.7% in Q4 and now owns 14.78M shares (12.07% of the company) worth about $4.19 billion, while institutional investors collectively hold 90.76% of the stock.
• Expedia beat Q4 expectations with $3.78 EPS versus $3.32 and revenue of $3.55 billion (up 11.4% YoY), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.48 (annualized $1.92, ~0.8% yield).
• The company is valued at about $30.05 billion with a P/E of 24.9; analysts are mixed (14 Buys, 22 Holds) and the consensus rating is a "Hold" with an average price target of $282.74.

Vanguard Group Inc. lowered its position in Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE - Free Report) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,784,141 shares of the online travel company's stock after selling 410,796 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 12.07% of Expedia Group worth $4,188,495,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in EXPE. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $408,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 5.0% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 5,455 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $917,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $596,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 6.5% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 21,265 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $3,587,000 after buying an additional 1,290 shares during the period. Finally, AXA S.A. increased its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 5.9% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 11,042 shares of the online travel company's stock valued at $1,863,000 after buying an additional 615 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.76% of the company's stock.

Expedia Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ EXPE opened at $245.22 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $232.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $248.23. Expedia Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $144.69 and a 12-month high of $303.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The company has a market cap of $30.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.90, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.33.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.46. Expedia Group had a net margin of 8.78% and a return on equity of 72.23%. The firm had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 16.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. This is a positive change from Expedia Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Expedia Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Expedia Group news, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.82, for a total transaction of $1,816,244.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 102,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,629,633.60. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on EXPE shares. Argus lowered their price objective on Expedia Group from $345.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Expedia Group from $303.00 to $306.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $294.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Susquehanna reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Expedia Group has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $282.74.

About Expedia Group

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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