Expedia Group, Inc. $EXPE Stock Acquired by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 102,842 shares of the online travel company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.09% of Expedia Group worth $27,084,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of EXPE. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its position in Expedia Group by 184.8% in the 3rd quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 6,673 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 4,330 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in Expedia Group by 47.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 32,146 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $8,226,000 after acquiring an additional 10,331 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new position in Expedia Group during the 2nd quarter worth $2,562,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Expedia Group during the 2nd quarter worth $166,203,000. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA bought a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the first quarter worth $910,000. 90.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Expedia Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Expedia Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expedia’s recent $676 million in deals points to increased business-to-business activity, which may support growth beyond its consumer booking business. Expedia’s $676 Million in Deals Points to More B2B Buying
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies maintained a Buy rating despite lowering its price target to $325 from $350, suggesting the analyst still sees upside. Jefferies Financial Group stock recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: Expedia has launched its Muse offering, though its AI capabilities are currently focused within its own apps; the report highlights that its AI gains remain internal rather than broadly distributed. Expedia Goes Live on Muse, but Its AI Wins Are Inside Its Own Apps
• Neutral Sentiment: A report notes Expedia pays out only 11% of profits as dividends and directs substantial capital to buybacks, but it does not announce a dividend increase. Expedia Uses Just 11% of Its Profits for Dividends
• Negative Sentiment: Online travel agency shares declined after OpenAI acquired travel startup Odessia, raising concern that AI-enabled trip planning and booking could challenge established platforms such as Expedia. Online Travel Agencies’ Shares Drop Following OpenAI Acquisition of Travel Startup Odessia

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on EXPE shares. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Expedia Group from $315.00 to $310.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 6th. Rosenblatt Securities assumed coverage on shares of Expedia Group in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $360.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Expedia Group in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $290.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $350.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Expedia Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $316.45.

Insider Transactions at Expedia Group

In related news, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 2,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $323.65, for a total value of $909,456.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,885,741.90. This represents a 18.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $330.50, for a total transaction of $661,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 105,335 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $34,813,217.50. This represents a 1.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 8,947 shares of company stock valued at $2,936,050 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Expedia Group Trading Down 2.1%

NASDAQ:EXPE opened at $253.77 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. Expedia Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $185.34 and a 1-year high of $342.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $279.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $259.28.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The online travel company reported $9.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.85 by $0.54. The firm had revenue of $4.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 91.03% and a net margin of 12.98%. Expedia Group’s revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.57 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 17.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Expedia Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 18th will be issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 18th. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.21%.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc. is an online travel company that connects travelers with lodging, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and activities. Its consumer-facing brands include Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, which specializes in vacation rentals. The company also provides travel technology and booking services to business partners. Founded in 1996 as a division of Microsoft, Expedia became an independent public company in 1999. It serves travelers and lodging partners in markets around the world through its websites and mobile apps.