Everhart Financial Group Inc. Purchases 8,307 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

Everhart Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 1,992.1% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,724 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,307 shares during the quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Booking were worth $1,555,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bar Harbor Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Booking by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 611 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,272,000 after buying an additional 2 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Booking by 22.2% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 11 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 2 shares during the last quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $232,000 after buying an additional 2 shares during the last quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC raised its position in Booking by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 52 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 2 shares during the period. Finally, Equity Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Booking by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Equity Wealth Partners LLC now owns 101 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 2 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,508 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,169,536. This represents a 6.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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. Also, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $206.70, for a total value of $206,700.00. Following the sale, the director owned 15,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,100,500. This represents a 6.25% 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 sold 69,625 shares of company stock worth $11,652,075. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Booking Price Performance

BKNG opened at $214.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $161.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.73, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $150.14 and a 1-year high of $231.80. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $179.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $176.56.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $55.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Booking’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. HSBC dropped their price target on shares of Booking from $309.84 to $298.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $215.00 target price (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised their target price on Booking from $266.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 target price (down from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $240.00 price target on Booking in a report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.69.

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Booking reported adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share, above the $2.43 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, surpassing forecasts of $7.19 billion. The results suggested resilient travel demand and helped support the stock’s advance.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism strengthened: UBS raised its price target to $274, while Wedbush, Benchmark and BTIG maintained bullish ratings with targets ranging from $247 to $250. The analyst actions reinforce expectations for additional upside following the earnings report. Booking Given New Price Target at UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth initiatives remain supportive: Management cited early benefits from artificial-intelligence personalization, cost savings and its connected-trip strategy, potentially improving efficiency and expanding customer engagement. Is Booking Holdings a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides modest shareholder support: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 11. The annualized yield of approximately 0.8% is unlikely to materially change the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Director sale was scheduled in advance: Director Robert Mylod Jr. sold 1,000 shares for $206,700 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. He continues to own 15,000 shares, limiting the significance of the transaction as a bearish signal. Booking Director Stock Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term outlook is less robust: Investors remain cautious about soft third-quarter revenue guidance, moderating room-night growth and marketing expenses rising faster than revenue. Competition from Google, geopolitical uncertainty and technically overbought conditions could limit further gains after the recent rally. Why Analysts Are Bullish on Booking

Booking Company Profile

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.