Blue Grotto Capital LLC Acquires 315,000 Shares of TripAdvisor, Inc. $TRIP

Blue Grotto Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) by 24.2% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,615,000 shares of the travel company’s stock after buying an additional 315,000 shares during the period. TripAdvisor comprises about 2.4% of Blue Grotto Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Blue Grotto Capital LLC’s holdings in TripAdvisor were worth $23,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in TripAdvisor by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,567,936 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $182,989,000 after acquiring an additional 721,957 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in TripAdvisor by 24.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,416,019 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $120,585,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445,607 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in TripAdvisor by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,762,943 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $54,790,000 after acquiring an additional 216,862 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC grew its holdings in TripAdvisor by 40.1% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 3,355,310 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $48,853,000 after acquiring an additional 961,121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP grew its holdings in TripAdvisor by 78.5% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 2,210,903 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $35,949,000 after acquiring an additional 972,369 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on TRIP shares. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of TripAdvisor from $16.00 to $13.70 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research cut shares of TripAdvisor from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of TripAdvisor from $10.50 to $15.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of TripAdvisor in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, B. Riley Financial decreased their price target on shares of TripAdvisor from $18.00 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.12.

TripAdvisor Stock Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:TRIP opened at $12.56 on Tuesday. TripAdvisor, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $9.01 and a fifty-two week high of $20.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 125.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $10.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.97.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The travel company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by ($0.08). TripAdvisor had a net margin of 0.99% and a return on equity of 5.73%. The firm had revenue of $382.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $384.69 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that TripAdvisor, Inc. will post 0.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More TripAdvisor News

Here are the key news stories impacting TripAdvisor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TripAdvisor agreed to sell TheFork to American Express for $700 million in cash, a deal that highlights the value of its portfolio and may free up capital for higher-growth initiatives. Tripadvisor Enters into Agreement to Sell TheFork to American Express for $700 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts reacted favorably to the sale, with Jefferies reiterating a Buy rating and saying the transaction could unlock hidden value; DA Davidson also raised its price target on TRIP to $15.50 while maintaining a Neutral stance. Jefferies’ Fuller Reiterates Buy on TripAdvisor After TheFork Sale Unlocks Hidden Value, Sees Upside to $15 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express said it is buying TheFork to support its dining strategy after prior acquisitions of Resy and Tock, underscoring that the asset had strategic value to another buyer. American Express to buy Tripadvisor’s restaurant booking platform TheFork in $700 million deal
• Negative Sentiment: TripAdvisor still faces a mixed analyst backdrop, including recent “Hold” views and prior put-option activity, suggesting some investors remain cautious despite the divestiture news. TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Insider Activity at TripAdvisor

In related news, CEO Almir Ambeskovic sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.30, for a total value of $98,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $423,070.80. This trade represents a 18.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 2.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

TripAdvisor Company Profile

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a leading online travel company that operates a digital platform for travel information, reviews and booking services. The company’s flagship website and mobile apps allow users to access and contribute travel-related content—ranging from hotel and restaurant reviews to ratings for tours, attractions and vacation rentals—helping consumers plan and book trips around the world.

The core of TripAdvisor’s offering is its community-driven review system, which aggregates user-generated feedback alongside editorial content and professional photography.