Benchmark Boosts Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target to $250.00

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) had its price target lifted by investment analysts at Benchmark from $220.00 to $250.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Benchmark’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 21.05% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on BKNG. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $215.00 price target on Booking and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (up from $240.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Booking from $249.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $220.00 target price on shares of Booking and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $274.00 target price (up from $264.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Booking presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.74.

Booking Stock Up 6.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:BKNG traded up $12.26 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $206.53. 7,080,211 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,587,722. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $176.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.82. Booking has a 1-year low of $150.14 and a 1-year high of $231.80. The firm has a market cap of $160.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.07.

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 the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a negative return on equity of 117.14% and a net margin of 22.23%.The business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $55.40 earnings per share. Booking’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Booking will post 10.42 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In related news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.00, for a total value of $216,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,508 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,169,536. This trade represents a 6.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.67, for a total transaction of $10,229,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 425,075 shares in the company, valued at $69,572,025.25. This trade represents a 12.82% 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 68,625 shares of company stock worth $11,445,375. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Booking

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its stake in Booking by 191,965.8% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,832,970 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $15,171,489,000 after purchasing an additional 2,831,495 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in Booking by 1,497.3% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 870,520 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,665,168,000 after buying an additional 816,022 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Booking by 66,209.8% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 659,783 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $117,600,000 after buying an additional 658,788 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,548.6% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 649,602 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $115,785,000 after buying an additional 625,076 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Booking in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,271,041,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results topped expectations: Adjusted earnings per share were $2.54 versus estimates of roughly $2.43–$2.45, while revenue rose 8.1% year over year to $7.35 billion, above the $7.19 billion consensus. Booking Holdings Q2 results top estimates as travel demand remains resilient
• Positive Sentiment: Travel demand remained resilient: Booking beat the high end of guidance for room nights, gross bookings and EBITDA, with solid domestic and regional demand offsetting some weakness in long-haul international travel. Booking Holdings tops second-quarter forecasts as travel demand stays resilient
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support strengthened: Wedbush raised its price target to $247 from $211 and assigned an “outperform” rating. BTIG reaffirmed its “buy” rating with a $250 target, while Cantor Fitzgerald lifted its target to $220, although it retained a “neutral” rating.
• Positive Sentiment: AI and efficiency initiatives provided additional upside potential: Management highlighted early gains from AI-powered personalization, connected-trip development and improved savings, which could support conversion and customer retention over time. BKNG Q2 Earnings Call Centers on Resilience, AI and Savings
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term guidance and geopolitics remain watch points: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $9.4–$9.5 billion was below the $9.7 billion consensus, and management cited Middle East conflict and related travel volatility as risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Growth and competitive pressures could limit further gains: Revenue growth decelerated relative to recent quarters, marketing expenses grew faster than revenue, and competition—particularly from Google—may raise customer-acquisition costs. Booking Holdings: The Buy Thesis Survives Q2

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.