Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Breaks Above 50 Day Moving Average After Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Booking shares rose above their 50-day moving average of $168.13, reaching $174.09 before last trading at $170.97. Although the headline mentions a downgrade, the article says Weiss Ratings upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy.
• Booking reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $4.66, beating the $4.49 consensus, and revenue of $9.79 billion versus estimates of $9.55 billion. Revenue was nevertheless down 1.2% year over year and missed estimates cited in the news roundup.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: MarketBeat reported a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $222.35, even as some analysts lowered targets and Booking warned that travel-demand growth may moderate in the fourth quarter.

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday after Weiss Ratings upgraded the stock from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $168.13 and traded as high as $174.09. Booking shares last traded at $170.97, with a volume of 14,632,302 shares.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $240.00 target price (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company restated a "reduce" rating and set a $190.00 price target (down from $220.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $222.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Booking news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm's 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 directly owned 14,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 50,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,851,439.75. The trade was a 11.77% 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. Insiders have sold 77,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,004,164 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.66 beat expectations. Room nights grew 7%, and gross bookings and adjusted revenue also increased, indicating underlying travel activity remained healthy. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Beat on Travel Growth, Revenues Miss
• Positive Sentiment: The stock’s recovery after an initial post-earnings decline indicates investors may have already priced in a weak report and are giving weight to the earnings beat and travel-volume growth. Booking Holdings earnings analysis: questions answered and next catalysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts lowered price targets after the results, but many maintained Buy, Outperform or Overweight ratings. This reflects reduced near-term expectations rather than a broad shift to bearish recommendations. These Analysts Slash Their Forecasts On Booking Holdings Following Q3 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Reported revenue missed estimates and fell year over year, partly due to an approximately $900 million revenue impact tied to FTC action. The company also cautioned that travel-demand growth is likely to moderate in Q4, with international demand pressured by geopolitical turmoil and higher airfares. Booking Holdings takes $900 million hit to quarterly revenue linked to FTC action

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BKNG. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Booking by 3,475.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Booking by 3,550.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN grew its holdings in Booking by 2,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its position in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the second quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Booking Stock Up 9.8%

The stock has a market capitalization of $128.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.45, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $168.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $176.51.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $4.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.17. Booking had a net margin of 25.52% and a negative return on equity of 95.02%. The company had revenue of $9.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.55 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $99.50 earnings per share. Booking's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel and restaurant-reservation company that connects consumers with travel providers through digital platforms and mobile applications. Its services include accommodations, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, restaurant reservations and other travel-related offerings.

The company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, Rentalcars.com and Kayak-associated travel services.

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