79,490 Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Shares Bought by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al grew its holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 19.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 481,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 79,490 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.06% of Booking worth $78,373,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of BKNG. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Booking in the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,646,302,000. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Booking by 2,674.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,420,711 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $7,026,348,000 after purchasing an additional 37,999,915 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Booking during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,691,186,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Booking during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,370,455,000. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Booking by 1.0% during the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 6,489,929 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,057,274,000 after purchasing an additional 64,584 shares during the period. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking Stock Down 1.5%

BKNG stock opened at $148.13 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $146.28 and a 12 month high of $220.81. The firm has a market cap of $111.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $171.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.25.

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

Booking Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Booking news, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total transaction of $79,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,133 shares in the company, valued at $3,404,063. The trade was a 2.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $200,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 14,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,800,000. The trade was a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 78,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,210,864 over the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BKNG shares. Truist Financial set a $216.00 price target on shares of Booking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. DA Davidson set a $240.00 price target on Booking in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on Booking from $220.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Mizuho set a $240.00 price objective on Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $233.07.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s global travel leadership, high margins and strong cash-flow generation remain important supports for the investment case. Its cash position could provide flexibility for share repurchases, investment and other shareholder returns. Booking vs. Coupang: Which Stock Is the Better Buy in November?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors will be watching for continued progress in loyalty adoption and the Connected Trip initiative, which aims to increase customer engagement and cross-selling across accommodations, flights, rental cars and other travel services. Strong execution could improve longer-term growth expectations. The Connected Trip Gamble
• Neutral Sentiment: BKNG has attracted unusually high investor attention and options activity ahead of earnings. This may increase short-term volatility, but the available reports do not indicate whether traders are positioning for a rise or decline. Booking Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are focused not only on revenue and earnings per share but also on operating metrics and other key indicators for the September quarter. These estimates could set the bar for the earnings reaction. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Currency headwinds could reduce the reported value of international bookings and earnings, while travel disruptions may weigh on demand or create additional costs. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Higher marketing spending may pressure profitability even if bookings and revenue continue to grow. Investors are therefore likely to scrutinize margins, guidance and management’s outlook. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: The shares have declined substantially and are trading near their 12-month low, reflecting elevated expectations risk ahead of the report. Any weak guidance or disappointment in Connected Trip adoption could add further pressure.

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.