Swiss National Bank Sells 4,970 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Swiss National Bank trimmed its position in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 5.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 88,814 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 4,970 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Booking were worth $475,628,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BKNG. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in shares of Booking during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Booking during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total transaction of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 425,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. This trade represents a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total transaction of $216,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,050 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,081,600. This represents a 6.55% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 97,076 shares of company stock valued at $16,417,121. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

More Booking News

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive, with Booking Holdings carrying a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy”, which may help support the stock. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerage-related articles reiterated that analysts still generally view BKNG favorably, suggesting Wall Street sees upside despite the pullback. Brokers Suggest Investing in Booking Holdings (BKNG): Read This Before Placing a Bet
• Positive Sentiment: Dodge & Cox reportedly initiated a position in Booking Holdings, a sign that some institutional investors see value in the stock after its decline. Dodge and Cox Fund Initiated Booking Holdings (BKNG) on Overlooked Advantage
• Neutral Sentiment: New commentary is questioning whether BKNG is now a bargain or a value trap after a roughly 25% share-price slide, which could keep traders cautious until fundamentals improve. Is It Time To Reassess Booking Holdings (BKNG) After A 25% Share Price Slide?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recap pieces noted BKNG has been falling faster than the broader market, reinforcing the recent weakness but not pointing to a new fundamental catalyst. Booking Holdings (BKNG) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s recent decline and weak year-to-date performance are weighing on sentiment, as investors appear to be reassessing growth expectations and valuation. Booking Holdings (BKNG) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on BKNG. Barclays set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $215.00 price objective (down from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of Booking from $260.00 to $237.40 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Booking from $224.00 to $208.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Susquehanna set a $260.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $227.14.

Booking Price Performance

BKNG stock opened at $163.59 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.14 and a 1 year high of $233.58. The company has a market cap of $126.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.52, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $169.49 and a 200 day moving average of $184.26.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.06. Booking had a net margin of 22.23% and a negative return on equity of 117.14%. The company had revenue of $5.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. Booking’s revenue was up 16.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.11%.

Booking Company 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.