Expedia Group Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:EXPE)

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Traders purchased 9,228 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 46% compared to the average volume of 6,301 call options.

Expedia Group Trading Up 12.4%

Shares of EXPE traded up $27.46 on Thursday, reaching $249.19. 4,973,494 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,918,177. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $254.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.81. Expedia Group has a 12 month low of $130.01 and a 12 month high of $303.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Expedia Group will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Expedia Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on EXPE shares. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $300.00 to $260.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Expedia Group from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Argus lowered their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $345.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $225.00 target price (down from $250.00) on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $281.74.

Institutional Trading of Expedia Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Expedia Group during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Expedia Group during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 78.6% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Expedia Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Expedia Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.76% of the company’s stock.

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.