582,880 Shares of Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG Acquired by Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 582,880 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $94,957,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Booking by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,503 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,329,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in shares of Booking by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $6,304,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Mill Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Booking by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Mill Capital Management LLC now owns 5,721 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $24,087,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Booking by 30.1% in the 1st quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC now owns 281 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,185,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Booking by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,667 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $434,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Booking

In related news, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of Booking stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.03, for a total transaction of $4,220,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 59,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,618,327.82. This trade represents a 25.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vanessa Wittman sold 375 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.00, for a total transaction of $79,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,404,063. This trade represents a 2.27% 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 have sold a total of 78,425 shares of company stock worth $16,210,864 in the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reissued a “reduce” rating and set a $190.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $215.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Booking in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Booking in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Booking has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $233.07.

Key Stories Impacting 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.

Booking Trading Down 1.5%

NASDAQ:BKNG opened at $148.13 on Friday. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $146.28 and a 12 month high of $220.81. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $171.26 and its 200 day moving average is $177.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $111.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.13.

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

Booking Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. Booking’s payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

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.