Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Stock: China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Increases Stake

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 19.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 27,820 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,488 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Booking were worth $4,516,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in Booking by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 4,918 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $801,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board boosted its position in shares of Booking by 21.6% in the third quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 30,724 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,005,000 after purchasing an additional 5,459 shares during the period. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. boosted its position in shares of Booking by 68.2% in the third quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. now owns 18,218 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,968,000 after purchasing an additional 7,387 shares during the period. Busey Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the third quarter worth $5,383,000. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in shares of Booking by 2.1% in the third quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 73,650 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $11,998,000 after purchasing an additional 1,548 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Booking

In other Booking news, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of Booking 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 sale, the director directly owned 16,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,404,063. The trade was a 2.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 3,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $610,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 73,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,935,432. This represents a 3.93% 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 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Booking Price Performance

BKNG stock opened at $150.43 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $146.28 and a 1-year high of $220.81. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $172.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $177.59. The company has a market capitalization of $113.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.39, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.13.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $55.40 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

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

Booking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s prior-quarter results exceeded analyst expectations for both earnings and revenue, providing a favorable backdrop ahead of the November 3 report. Investors will be watching whether third-quarter travel demand and operating performance can sustain that momentum. Can This Number Push Booking Holdings Stock Higher?
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings preview centers on Booking’s “Connected Trip” strategy, which aims to link lodging, flights, rental cars and other travel services. Investors are likely to seek evidence that the strategy is increasing customer engagement, bookings and long-term growth. The Connected Trip Gamble
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are looking beyond revenue and earnings per share to operating metrics for the quarter ended September 2026. These figures could determine whether the results are viewed as a beat, in line or disappointment. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Booking Holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy investor searches and unusually large options activity indicate heightened interest and potentially increased volatility around the earnings announcement, but neither necessarily signals a fundamental change in the business. Investors Heavily Search Booking Holdings Booking Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst views on Booking and other consumer-cyclical travel stocks remain mixed. The company’s shares have also been under pressure and are near their yearly low, increasing the risk of a sharp reaction if guidance or key operating metrics fall short. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on BKNG. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “reduce” rating and set a $190.00 price objective (down from $220.00) on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $188.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price target on Booking and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Benchmark raised their price target on Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $233.07.

Booking Profile

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.