Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Shares Newly Acquired by Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc.

Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc. bought a new stake in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 138,680 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $22,592,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,646,302,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Booking by 2,674.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,420,711 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $7,026,348,000 after acquiring an additional 37,999,915 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Booking by 1,497.3% during 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 purchasing an additional 816,022 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Booking during the 2nd quarter worth $1,691,186,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Booking in the second quarter valued at about $1,370,455,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $148.13 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $111.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $171.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $177.25. Booking Holdings Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.28 and a twelve month high of $220.81.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The business had revenue of $7.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $55.40 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In other Booking news, VP Peter J. Millones sold 50,050 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.59, for a total value of $10,389,879.50. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at $77,851,439.75. This trade represents a 11.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.06, for a total transaction of $244,590.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 70,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,479,424. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 78,425 shares of company stock valued at $16,210,864. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s global travel leadership, high margins and strong cash-flow generation remain important supports for the investment case. Its cash position could provide flexibility for share repurchases, investment and other shareholder returns. Booking vs. Coupang: Which Stock Is the Better Buy in November?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors will be watching for continued progress in loyalty adoption and the Connected Trip initiative, which aims to increase customer engagement and cross-selling across accommodations, flights, rental cars and other travel services. Strong execution could improve longer-term growth expectations. The Connected Trip Gamble
• Neutral Sentiment: BKNG has attracted unusually high investor attention and options activity ahead of earnings. This may increase short-term volatility, but the available reports do not indicate whether traders are positioning for a rise or decline. Booking Sees Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are focused not only on revenue and earnings per share but also on operating metrics and other key indicators for the September quarter. These estimates could set the bar for the earnings reaction. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Currency headwinds could reduce the reported value of international bookings and earnings, while travel disruptions may weigh on demand or create additional costs. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Higher marketing spending may pressure profitability even if bookings and revenue continue to grow. Investors are therefore likely to scrutinize margins, guidance and management’s outlook. Booking Holdings Q3 Earnings Ahead: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: The shares have declined substantially and are trading near their 12-month low, reflecting elevated expectations risk ahead of the report. Any weak guidance or disappointment in Connected Trip adoption could add further pressure.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho set a $240.00 price target on Booking in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $230.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Monday, August 24th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.07.

About Booking

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.