Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Stock: Great Lakes Retirement Inc. Increases Holdings

Great Lakes Retirement Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 68.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,218 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,387 shares during the period. Great Lakes Retirement Inc.’s holdings in Booking were worth $2,968,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Booking by 1,615.6% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 13,931 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,483,000 after acquiring an additional 13,119 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $11,687,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,860.8% in the 2nd quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 12,554 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,238,000 after purchasing an additional 12,130 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,549.7% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 88,949 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $16,077,000 after purchasing an additional 85,592 shares in the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Booking by 4,630.9% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 24,175 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,309,000 after purchasing an additional 23,664 shares during the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Booking Trading Down 2.0%

Booking stock opened at $150.14 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $174.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $178.28. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $149.87 and a 12 month high of $220.81. The company has a market capitalization of $112.81 billion, a PE ratio of 16.62 and a beta of 1.13.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $55.40 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other news, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 14,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total transaction of $79,125.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,404,063. The trade was a 2.27% 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 sold 78,425 shares of company stock worth $16,210,864 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BKNG. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Truist Financial set a $216.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Booking from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Booking has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.71.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking has delivered stronger revenue momentum than Advance Auto Parts over the past eight quarters, although its results show significant seasonal fluctuations. Advance Auto Parts vs. Booking Holdings: Flat Against Volatile Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased approximately 48,851 BKNG call options, roughly 225% above typical call volume. The activity may indicate bullish positioning or expectations for a rebound, though options flows can be speculative. Booking Holdings has huge, unusual call options activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking is expected to report quarterly results next week. Investors will focus on bookings, travel demand, margins, and management’s outlook for the remainder of the year. Booking Expected to Release Quarterly Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cited a lack of the usual factors supporting a likely earnings beat, increasing downside risk ahead of the report and likely contributing to investor caution. Booking Holdings Earnings Expected to Grow
• Negative Sentiment: BKNG recently reached a fresh 52-week low, signaling persistent technical weakness and reduced investor confidence ahead of earnings. Booking Holdings Falls to a Fresh 52-Week Low
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America lowered its BKNG price target to $232, although the revised target remains substantially above recent trading levels. Booking Holdings Price Target Lowered

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel and restaurant-reservation company that connects consumers with travel providers through digital platforms and mobile applications. Its services include accommodations, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, restaurant reservations and other travel-related offerings.

The company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, Rentalcars.com and Kayak-associated travel services.