TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) Trading Up 6.1% – Time to Buy?

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) shares traded up 6.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $10.44 and last traded at $10.1930. Approximately 1,637,301 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 2,988,185 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.61.

TripAdvisor News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting TripAdvisor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs kept a “buy” rating on TRIP while trimming its price target to $22 (from $25), signaling continued analyst confidence and implying substantial upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reports that TripAdvisor has engaged with activist Starboard, which is seeking board control and exploring a sale — an outcome that could unlock shareholder value if it leads to strategic alternatives or governance changes. Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s and other outlets highlight new activist campaigns in travel names (including TRIP), underscoring that robust travel demand plus poor recent stock performance makes such companies targets for value-focused activists. That narrative can attract investors betting on restructuring-led upside. Barron’s
• Neutral Sentiment: TripAdvisor issued an official statement about its engagement with Starboard, indicating management is in discussions — a sign the situation is active but not yet resolved. PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from TipRanks and Zacks frames TRIP as a value-ranked/contrarian idea; useful background for investors but not an immediate catalyst. TipRanks Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Travel content/marketing items (TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards) are positive for brand but are unlikely to move the stock materially in the near term. PR Newswire – Top Beaches
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell-side firms have trimmed price targets: Wedbush cut its target (reported at $15 on one report and earlier noted at $12) and BTIG cut to $15 — a sign analysts are tempering near-term expectations after recent results. MSN – Wedbush BTIG via AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed EPS expectations and contributed to the stock’s prior decline — this underpins activist pressure and keeps near-term execution concerns on investor radars. WSJ

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of TripAdvisor from $19.00 to $16.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wedbush dropped their target price on shares of TripAdvisor from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $10.00 price target on TripAdvisor and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Mizuho set a $17.00 price target on TripAdvisor and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of TripAdvisor from $13.00 to $12.50 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.32.

TripAdvisor Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 35.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.29. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $13.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.43.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The travel company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.11). TripAdvisor had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 10.67%. The company had revenue of $411.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $412.53 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that TripAdvisor, Inc. will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TripAdvisor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its position in TripAdvisor by 75.7% during the 3rd quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 1,523 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 656 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in TripAdvisor by 64.8% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,770 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 696 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in TripAdvisor in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of TripAdvisor by 295.2% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,300 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of TripAdvisor by 39.7% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,482 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.