Short Interest in Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) Rises By 18.0%

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 8,210,795 shares, an increase of 18.0% from the February 12th total of 6,957,259 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,742,608 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Approximately 7.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 7.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,742,608 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Expedia Group

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 shares were sold at an average price of $220.82, for a total value of $1,816,244.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 102,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,629,633.60. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 9.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Expedia Group Stock Up 4.2%

Expedia Group stock opened at $241.25 on Wednesday. Expedia Group has a fifty-two week low of $130.01 and a fifty-two week high of $303.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.73. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $245.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $243.68. The stock has a market cap of $29.56 billion, a PE ratio of 24.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.41.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Expedia Group will post 12.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. This is a positive change from Expedia Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EXPE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Expedia Group in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Expedia Group from $325.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Expedia Group from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on Expedia Group from $294.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, B. Riley Financial raised their target price on Expedia Group from $300.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $281.65.

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.