Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Stock Sold by Vantage Investment Partners LLC

Vantage Investment Partners LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 17.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 201,674 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 42,911 shares during the quarter. Booking comprises about 2.0% of Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $32,855,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Booking by 6.2% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 957 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,031,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in Booking by 4.0% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,304,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Booking by 3.9% during the first quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,503 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,329,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Mill Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Booking by 1.1% during the first quarter. Mill Capital Management LLC now owns 5,721 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $24,087,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Van Diest Capital LLC grew its stake in Booking by 30.1% during the first quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC now owns 281 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,185,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. DA Davidson set a $240.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wedbush upped their price target on shares of Booking from $211.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed 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, Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $215.00 price target (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.71.

Booking Stock Performance

Booking stock opened at $147.94 on Thursday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 52 week low of $146.28 and a 52 week high of $220.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $111.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $173.75 and a 200-day moving average of $177.93.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $55.40 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Booking’s payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually high call-option activity indicates that some traders are positioning for a rebound. Nearly 48,851 call options changed hands, roughly 225% above typical daily volume, while another report described the activity as potentially signaling that the stock is undervalued. Booking Holdings unusual call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s revenue trajectory has shown stronger upward momentum than Advance Auto Parts’ over the past eight comparable quarters. However, the pattern is seasonal, with notable late-summer peaks, so comparisons should be interpreted cautiously. Advance Auto Parts vs. Booking Holdings revenue comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views on Booking are mixed, suggesting limited consensus on the stock’s near-term outlook and potentially contributing to continued volatility. Mixed analyst opinions on Booking Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: BKNG fell even as the wider market advanced, highlighting company-specific selling pressure. The decline followed several weak sessions and reinforced concerns about investor confidence. Booking Holdings stock drops despite market gains
• Negative Sentiment: The stock recently reached a fresh 52-week low, a technical warning that sellers remain in control and that investors may be demanding stronger earnings evidence before buying. Booking Holdings reaches a fresh 52-week low
• Negative Sentiment: Although analysts expect earnings to grow in the upcoming report, Zacks says Booking lacks the combination of factors that typically supports a likely earnings beat. That raises the risk of disappointment if results or guidance fail to exceed expectations. Booking Holdings earnings expectations

Insider Transactions at Booking

In other news, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,618,327.82. This trade represents a 25.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of Booking 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 sale, the director directly owned 14,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,800,000. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 78,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,210,864. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Booking

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.