Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Tuesday.

BKNG has been the subject of several other reports. Citigroup increased their price target on Booking from $5,500.00 to $5,800.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Booking from $5,400.00 to $6,000.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Booking from $4,900.00 to $5,540.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Booking from $5,500.00 to $6,000.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Booking from $5,560.00 to $5,960.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $5,370.43.

Booking Stock Performance

NASDAQ BKNG opened at $4,695.97 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $4,879.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4,643.05. Booking has a one year low of $3,180.00 and a one year high of $5,337.24. The firm has a market cap of $154.10 billion, a PE ratio of 27.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.39.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The business services provider reported $41.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $35.82 by $5.73. The firm had revenue of $5.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.18 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 159.34% and a net margin of 24.78%. Research analysts predict that Booking will post 209.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a dividend of $9.60 per share. This represents a $38.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This is a boost from Booking’s previous quarterly dividend of $8.75. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.19%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Booking during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $635,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter worth $79,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter worth $67,571,000. Brucke Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter valued at $298,000. Finally, Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC increased its stake in Booking by 44.4% in the fourth quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 13 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares during the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc, formerly The Priceline Group Inc, is a provider of travel and restaurant online reservation and related services. The Company, through its online travel companies (OTCs), connects consumers wishing to make travel reservations with providers of travel services across the world. It offers consumers an array of accommodation reservations (including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, vacation rentals and other properties) through its Booking.com, priceline.com and agoda.com brands.