TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 2,479,413 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 31% from the previous session’s volume of 3,602,308 shares.The stock last traded at $14.9550 and had previously closed at $14.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TRIP has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on TripAdvisor from $16.00 to $13.70 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of TripAdvisor in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Barclays decreased their price objective on TripAdvisor from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. DA Davidson upped their target price on TripAdvisor from $10.50 to $15.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Wedbush raised their target price on TripAdvisor from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TripAdvisor presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $14.76.

TripAdvisor Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market cap of $1.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 146.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86. The company’s 50-day moving average is $12.78 and its 200-day moving average is $11.75.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $382.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $384.69 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that TripAdvisor, Inc. will post 0.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TripAdvisor

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in TripAdvisor by 29.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 81,998 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $1,162,000 after buying an additional 18,699 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of TripAdvisor by 1,183.2% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,416 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 5,916 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of TripAdvisor by 14.2% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,475 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $191,000 after acquiring an additional 1,676 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in TripAdvisor by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 297,532 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $4,216,000 after buying an additional 22,136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning acquired a new position in shares of TripAdvisor during the second quarter valued at $349,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

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.