Robert Mylod, Jr. Sells 1,000 Shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Robert Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 14,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their position. The sale 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.

Booking Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of Booking stock opened at $195.13 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $150.14 and a 52-week high of $226.10. The company has a market capitalization of $146.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50 day moving average of $194.07 and a 200 day moving average of $178.29.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The company had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $55.40 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is 18.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BKNG. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 price target on Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Booking from $266.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial set a $242.00 target price on Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wedbush upped their price target on Booking from $211.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $236.00 price target (up from $225.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $236.70.

Institutional Trading of Booking

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BKNG. Bogart Wealth LLC increased its position in Booking by 3,475.0% during the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Booking by 3,550.0% in the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Financial Corp IN grew its position in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the second quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc grew 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 worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt initiated coverage with a Strong Buy recommendation and reportedly set a $245 price target, indicating substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view may support BKNG by highlighting its positioning among online travel companies. Rosenblatt initiates coverage of Booking Holdings
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s capital-return profile remains attractive. A recent analysis noted that the company’s dividend and share repurchases together produce a total shareholder yield above 7%, which could appeal to value and income-oriented investors. Booking Holdings dividend and buyback analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentally, the latest quarter included earnings of $2.54 per share versus a $2.43 consensus estimate and revenue of $7.35 billion versus expectations of $7.19 billion. Revenue grew 8.1% year over year, while Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is generally favorable, but the stock’s post-earnings performance indicates that strong results have not yet translated into sustained upward momentum. Investors are likely focused on updated forecasts and the outlook for travel demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling adds a modest negative headline. Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $200,000, following insider Paulo Pisano’s sale of 3,000 shares for approximately $610,440. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their value as signals of deteriorating business prospects. Booking Holdings director stock sale

About Booking

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.