Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Receives Average Rating of 'Moderate Buy' from Analysts

Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) have recently garnered a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from a group of thirty-one analysts, as reported by Marketbeat. Among these analysts, nine have issued a hold recommendation, twenty have given a buy rating, and two analysts rated the stock with a strong buy.

The average target price projected by brokers who have updated their coverage over the past year is $5,370.43. This metric reflects the potential market value analysts expect from the stock in the near future.

Several analysts have recently revisited their price targets for BKNG. For example, on January 6th, Wedbush increased its price target for Booking from $5,000.00 to $5,500.00 and rated the stock as “outperform.” Oppenheimer also raised their target on December 6th, moving it from $5,500.00 to $6,000.00 while maintaining an “outperform” rating. Additionally, BMO Capital Markets adjusted its target price for Booking from $5,155.00 to $5,900.00 on February 21st, affirming their “outperform” rating. Wells Fargo & Company similarly increased its target from $4,470.00 to $5,248.00, assigning an “equal weight” rating. Robert W. Baird even initiated coverage with an “outperform” rating and a $5,850.00 target price on November 27th.

Booking Stock Performance

On Tuesday, shares for NASDAQ BKNG opened at $4,563.39. The stock has experienced a fifty-two week low of $3,180.00 and a high of $5,337.24. With a market cap of $149.75 billion, the company exhibits a PE ratio of 26.37 and a PEG ratio of 1.71 alongside a beta of 1.40. The fifty-day moving average for shares is $4,809.82, while the two-hundred-day moving average is $4,687.26.

Booking Holdings provided its quarterly earnings report on February 20th, revealing earnings per share of $41.55, surpassing the consensus estimate of $35.82 by $5.73. The company reported a net margin of 24.78% and a considerably negative return on equity of 159.34%. The quarterly revenue reached $5.47 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $5.18 billion. Analysts expect Booking to deliver an annual earnings per share of 209.92.

Booking Increases Dividend

Recently, Booking Holdings announced an increase in its quarterly dividend, which is set to be paid on March 31st. Investors on record as of March 7th will receive a payment of $9.60 per share, an increase from the previous quarterly payment of $8.75. This results in an annualized dividend of $38.40, providing a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date falls on March 7th, and the company currently maintains a dividend payout ratio of 22.19%.

Institutional Trading of Booking

Numerous institutional investors have recently adjusted their stake in BKNG. For instance, Adero Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Booking worth about $214,000 during the third quarter. Claro Advisors LLC increased its position by 81.1%, owning 163 shares valued at $687,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. also bought a new stake valued at $206,000 this quarter. MAI Capital Management raised its position by 15.4%, owning 12,977 shares valued at $54,660,000 after purchasing an additional 1,734 shares in the last quarter. Lastly, Quest Partners LLC reported a 232.5% increase in their hold, with 256 shares valued at $1,078,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. Currently, 92.42% of shares are held by institutional investors.

About Booking

Booking Holdings Inc., formerly known as The Priceline Group Inc., is a leading provider of travel and restaurant online reservation services. Through its online travel companies (OTCs), Booking connects consumers looking to make travel reservations with a variety of service providers globally. It operates brands such as Booking.com, priceline.com, and agoda.com, offering a diverse selection of accommodation options including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, and vacation rentals.

Booking, Analysts, Ratings, Stocks, Earnings