Expedia Group’s (EXPE) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Wedbush

Wedbush restated their neutral rating on shares of Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Wedbush currently has a $260.00 price objective on the online travel company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. They set a “sector weight” rating for the company. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Expedia Group from $300.00 to $260.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $244.00 target price on Expedia Group in a research report on Friday, February 13th. HSBC lifted their target price on Expedia Group from $365.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald set a $245.00 price target on Expedia Group in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $284.35.

Expedia Group Stock Performance

Expedia Group stock opened at $199.76 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.28, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $268.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.67. Expedia Group has a 52 week low of $130.01 and a 52 week high of $303.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.46. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 72.23% and a net margin of 8.78%.The firm had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Expedia Group will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. This is a positive change from Expedia Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Madhumita Moina Banerjee sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.00, for a total transaction of $258,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $752,328. This trade represents a 25.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 9.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Expedia Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. grew its position in Expedia Group by 2.6% during the second quarter. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. now owns 107,973 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $18,213,000 after purchasing an additional 2,767 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Expedia Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,063,000. Railway Pension Investments Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 19.6% during the 3rd quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 115,200 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $24,624,000 after acquiring an additional 18,900 shares in the last quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the third quarter worth $1,001,000. Finally, National Pension Service raised its holdings in shares of Expedia Group by 6.7% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 248,328 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $53,080,000 after acquiring an additional 15,611 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.76% of the company’s stock.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) is a global travel technology company that operates an online marketplace connecting consumers, travel suppliers and third?party partners. The company’s platform enables search, comparison and booking of travel products and services, including hotels, airline tickets, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises and packaged travel. Its portfolio comprises consumer-facing travel brands as well as corporate travel solutions and technology services that serve both leisure and business travelers.

Key offerings include consumer booking platforms and mobile apps that aggregate inventory from hotels, vacation rental managers, airlines and car rental companies, alongside ancillary travel services such as trip insurance and activities.