Groupe la Francaise Has $65.09 Million Stake in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Groupe la Francaise raised its stake in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 25.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,093 shares during the period. Booking comprises about 0.9% of Groupe la Francaise’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Booking were worth $65,092,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. J. Stern & Co. LLP grew its holdings in shares of Booking by 191,965.8% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,832,970 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $15,171,489,000 after purchasing an additional 2,831,495 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in shares of Booking by 1,497.3% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 870,520 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,665,168,000 after purchasing an additional 816,022 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Booking during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,271,041,000. HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Booking by 28,353.8% during the 4th quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 204,298 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,094,083,000 after purchasing an additional 203,580 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its position in Booking by 862.0% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 218,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,167,890,000 after buying an additional 195,411 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target for Booking Holdings from $249 to $266 and reiterated a “Buy” rating, implying substantial upside from recent levels. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s latest reported quarter showed resilient fundamentals: earnings per share exceeded estimates, revenue reached $5.53 billion, and revenue increased 16.2% year over year. Investors may view this performance as a supportive baseline for the upcoming results.
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking is preparing to report second-quarter earnings for the period ended June 2026. Analysts are focused on room nights, gross bookings, revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, while the market looks for evidence that the company’s Connected Trip and artificial-intelligence initiatives are translating into growth. Booking Holdings Q2 key metrics preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Robert J. Mylod Jr. sold 5,000 shares for approximately $1 million, while Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares for $216,000. Both transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their significance as signals about management’s current view of the stock. Robert Mylod SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect slower second-quarter growth as geopolitical and travel disruptions weigh on demand. The earnings preview also suggests that gains from the Connected Trip and AI initiatives may not fully offset a more challenging operating environment. Booking Holdings Q2 earnings outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The upcoming earnings event creates near-term uncertainty because investors will be looking for a beat and constructive guidance after the recent share-price weakness. Any disappointment in bookings, margins or the outlook could increase volatility.

Booking Trading Down 4.0%

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $193.24 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.14 and a 1 year high of $231.80. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $175.07 and its 200-day moving average is $177.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.42, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.07.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.06. Booking had a net margin of 22.23% and a negative return on equity of 117.14%. The business had revenue of $5.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.99 earnings per share. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BKNG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Booking and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on Booking from $210.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Booking from $248.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. HSBC cut their price objective on Booking from $309.84 to $298.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Booking from $234.00 to $215.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $227.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total value of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 425,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,572,025.25. This trade represents a 12.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 16,508 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,169,536. The trade was a 6.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 68,625 shares of company stock valued at $11,445,375. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel company that operates a portfolio of consumer brands and technology platforms that facilitate the search for and booking of travel services. The company’s businesses focus on accommodations, transportation and related travel services through consumer-facing websites and apps as well as partner distribution channels. Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in the late 1990s and adopted the Booking Holdings name in 2018; it is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Its core offerings include online reservations for hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging; flight and car rental search and booking; and ancillary services that support travel planning and on-property experiences.