42,911 Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Shares Sold by Vantage Investment Partners LLC

Vantage Investment Partners LLC lowered its position in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 17.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 201,674 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 42,911 shares during the quarter. Booking comprises about 2.0% of Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $32,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bogart Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 3,475.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its position in Booking by 3,550.0% in the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the second quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the second quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BKNG shares. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective (up from $215.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Booking to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated a “reduce” rating and set a $190.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Booking from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Booking has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $233.71.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually high call-option activity indicates that some traders are positioning for a rebound. Nearly 48,851 call options changed hands, roughly 225% above typical daily volume, while another report described the activity as potentially signaling that the stock is undervalued. Booking Holdings unusual call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s revenue trajectory has shown stronger upward momentum than Advance Auto Parts’ over the past eight comparable quarters. However, the pattern is seasonal, with notable late-summer peaks, so comparisons should be interpreted cautiously. Advance Auto Parts vs. Booking Holdings revenue comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views on Booking are mixed, suggesting limited consensus on the stock’s near-term outlook and potentially contributing to continued volatility. Mixed analyst opinions on Booking Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: BKNG fell even as the wider market advanced, highlighting company-specific selling pressure. The decline followed several weak sessions and reinforced concerns about investor confidence. Booking Holdings stock drops despite market gains
• Negative Sentiment: The stock recently reached a fresh 52-week low, a technical warning that sellers remain in control and that investors may be demanding stronger earnings evidence before buying. Booking Holdings reaches a fresh 52-week low
• Negative Sentiment: Although analysts expect earnings to grow in the upcoming report, Zacks says Booking lacks the combination of factors that typically supports a likely earnings beat. That raises the risk of disappointment if results or guidance fail to exceed expectations. Booking Holdings earnings expectations

Booking Stock Down 1.5%

NASDAQ BKNG opened at $147.94 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $111.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.37, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.13. Booking Holdings Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.28 and a twelve month high of $220.81. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $173.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $177.93.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $55.40 EPS. Research analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total value of $4,220,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,618,327.82. The trade was a 25.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 50,050 shares of Booking stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,851,439.75. This represents a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 78,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,210,864. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel and restaurant-reservation company that connects consumers with travel providers through digital platforms and mobile applications. Its services include accommodations, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, restaurant reservations and other travel-related offerings.

The company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, Rentalcars.com and Kayak-associated travel services.