Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman Sells 375 Shares

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 375 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total value of $79,125.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 16,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,404,063. This trade represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Vanessa Ames Wittman also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, July 28th, Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of Booking stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total transaction of $216,000.00.

Booking Price Performance

BKNG stock opened at $208.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $156.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.07. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $150.14 and a 12 month high of $231.80. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $185.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $177.06.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 102.96% and a net margin of 25.53%.The company had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $55.40 earnings per share. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Booking Announces Dividend

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

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s KAYAK brand reported that international airfares for UK travelers during September and October average 26% below peak-season prices. More affordable “shoulder season” travel could support booking volumes and reinforce expectations for resilient demand across Booking’s lodging and travel platforms. KAYAK shoulder season travel research
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst commentary remains broadly constructive. Booking has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $235.72, while Argus raised its target to $245 and maintained a buy rating. The company also exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue rising 8.1% year over year. Booking analyst ratings and stock analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, equivalent to $1.68 annually and a yield of approximately 0.8%. The payout is modest but signals continued capital returns; it is unlikely to be a major driver for the stock given the company’s growth-oriented valuation. Booking dividend announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Vice President Peter Millones sold 50,050 shares for approximately $10.4 million, reducing his holdings by 11.77%. Director Vanessa Ames Wittman also sold 375 shares for about $79,000. Both transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, which makes them a weaker bearish signal; Millones still retains roughly $77.9 million in BKNG stock. Booking insider share sales

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BKNG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays set a $210.00 target price on Booking and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $234.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore set a $245.00 price target on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $236.00 price target (up from $225.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $235.72.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its position in Booking by 3,475.0% during the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of 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 period. Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN boosted its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the period. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.