Knollwood Investment Advisory LLC Boosts Stake in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Knollwood Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 2,400.0% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 21,825 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 20,952 shares during the period. Knollwood Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $3,890,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Booking in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of Booking stock opened at $195.13 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $150.14 and a one year high of $226.10. The company has a market cap of $146.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.60, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $194.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $178.29.

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

Booking Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Booking

In other Booking news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $1,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,200,000. This represents a 23.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total value of $4,220,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,618,327.82. This trade represents a 25.06% 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 81,550 shares of company stock worth $16,922,744 in the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Booking

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho set a $240.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $234.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $240.00 price target (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $220.00 price target on Booking and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.70.

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.