The Goldman Sachs Group Lowers TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) Price Target to $22.00

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) had its price objective reduced by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $25.00 to $22.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the travel company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 108.47% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of TripAdvisor from $13.00 to $10.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of TripAdvisor from $13.00 to $12.50 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of TripAdvisor from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. DA Davidson set a $11.00 price target on TripAdvisor and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut TripAdvisor from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.32.

TripAdvisor Stock Up 9.8%

Shares of TRIP stock traded up $0.94 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $10.55. 5,062,976 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,123,416. TripAdvisor has a 1 year low of $9.46 and a 1 year high of $20.16. The firm has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 35.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50 day moving average is $13.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33.

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The travel company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $411.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $412.53 million. TripAdvisor had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 10.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that TripAdvisor will post 0.46 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TRIP. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC raised its position in TripAdvisor by 75.7% in the 3rd quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 1,523 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of TripAdvisor by 64.8% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,770 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 696 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of TripAdvisor by 295.2% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,300 shares of the travel company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,718 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in TripAdvisor during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in TripAdvisor by 39.7% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,482 shares of the travel company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More TripAdvisor News

Here are the key news stories impacting TripAdvisor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Starboard engagement and push for board control — Starboard Value says it intends to nominate directors and has been in discussions with TripAdvisor’s board; activists often force strategic options or management change that can unlock value. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights activist as a potential catalyst for travel stocks — press commentary (Barron’s, WSJ) frames Starboard’s move as a clear catalyst given solid travel demand, which can attract buyers/speculators. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: TripAdvisor issued a formal statement about engagement with Starboard — company acknowledgement reduces uncertainty but offers few public details on outcomes. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/features on value case — Zacks and others highlight TripAdvisor as a value-ranked stock, which may support interest from value investors but isn’t an immediate catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/newsflow: TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards (top beaches) — brand momentum/engagement story but limited direct impact on near-term valuation. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts and downgrades — several brokers (Wedbush, BTIG and others) have trimmed targets and outlooks this week, reflecting disappointment after the company missed recent earnings expectations. Article Title Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings miss and weaker near-term fundamentals — the company missed EPS expectations in its latest quarter, which triggered the recent share weakness that helped prompt activist interest. Article Title

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a leading online travel company that operates a digital platform for travel information, reviews and booking services. The company’s flagship website and mobile apps allow users to access and contribute travel-related content—ranging from hotel and restaurant reviews to ratings for tours, attractions and vacation rentals—helping consumers plan and book trips around the world.

The core of TripAdvisor’s offering is its community-driven review system, which aggregates user-generated feedback alongside editorial content and professional photography.