Everpar Advisors LLC Acquires 3,430 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Everpar Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 2,485.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,568 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,430 shares during the period. Everpar Advisors LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $636,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. First Financial Corp IN increased its holdings in Booking by 2,400.0% in the second quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $214.42 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $150.14 and a 12-month high of $231.80. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $179.43 and a 200-day moving average of $176.56. The company has a market capitalization of $161.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.07.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $55.40 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.43 EPS for the current year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.58%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $206.70, for a total transaction of $206,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 15,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,100,500. This trade represents a 6.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of Booking stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total value of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. This represents a 12.82% decrease in their position. 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 a total of 69,625 shares of company stock worth $11,652,075 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BKNG shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $240.00 price target (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $215.00 target price (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.69.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share, above the $2.43 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, surpassing forecasts of $7.19 billion. The results suggested resilient travel demand and helped support the stock’s advance.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism strengthened: UBS raised its price target to $274, while Wedbush, Benchmark and BTIG maintained bullish ratings with targets ranging from $247 to $250. The analyst actions reinforce expectations for additional upside following the earnings report. Booking Given New Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth initiatives remain supportive: Management cited early benefits from artificial-intelligence personalization, cost savings and its connected-trip strategy, potentially improving efficiency and expanding customer engagement. Is Booking Holdings a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides modest shareholder support: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 11. The annualized yield of approximately 0.8% is unlikely to materially change the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Director sale was scheduled in advance: Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $206,700 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. He continues to own 15,000 shares, limiting the significance of the transaction as a bearish signal. Booking Director Stock Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term outlook is less robust: Investors remain cautious about soft third-quarter revenue guidance, moderating room-night growth and marketing expenses rising faster than revenue. Competition from Google, geopolitical uncertainty and technically overbought conditions could limit further gains after the recent rally. Why Analysts Are Bullish on Booking

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.