Sapient Capital LLC Cuts Stock Position in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Sapient Capital LLC lessened its holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 37.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,382 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 3,822 shares during the quarter. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $26,867,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $361,463,000. Rit Capital Partners PLC bought a new stake in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,396,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $210,352,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its holdings in Booking by 862.0% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 218,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,167,890,000 after purchasing an additional 195,411 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Booking by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 56,087 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $300,364,000 after purchasing an additional 15,053 shares during the period. 92.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total transaction of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares in the company, valued at $69,572,025.25. The trade was a 12.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total transaction of $216,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,508 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 68,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,445,375. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of Booking stock opened at $192.90 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $175.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $176.59. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $150.14 and a 12-month high of $231.80. The company has a market cap of $149.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.37, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.07.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho lowered their target price on Booking from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price objective on Booking and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Booking from $248.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Booking from $249.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $227.23.

Key Headlines Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable. UBS raised its BKNG price target from $249 to $266 and reiterated a “Buy” rating. BMO Capital also maintained a “Buy” rating, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target near $227, well above recent trading levels. UBS analyst update BMO Capital rating
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s latest reported quarter provided a solid operating base: adjusted earnings exceeded expectations, revenue reached $5.53 billion and increased 16.2% year over year. Investors may look for that momentum to continue in the second quarter.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are focused on second-quarter room nights, gross bookings, revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. Results and management guidance will likely determine whether the recent weakness is temporary or signals a broader slowdown. Booking Q2 key metrics preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Directors Robert Mylod Jr. and Vanessa Ames Wittman sold shares worth approximately $1 million and $216,000, respectively. Both trades were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, reducing their significance as a current signal about management’s outlook. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings outlook is cautious: analysts expect slower second-quarter growth as geopolitical and travel disruptions weigh on demand, while Connected Trip and artificial-intelligence investments may not fully offset the tougher environment. A miss on bookings, margins or guidance could increase volatility. Booking Q2 earnings outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure is increasing as Bank of America launched a travel center offering hotels, flights, car rentals and activities, while other platforms are also targeting Booking’s customers and supplier relationships.

Booking 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.