Cantor Fitzgerald Has Lowered Expectations for Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock Price

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) had its target price lowered by research analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $170.00 to $150.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Cantor Fitzgerald‘s target price points to a potential downside of 3.64% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on BKNG. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating on shares of Booking in a research note on Wednesday. Benchmark increased their price target on Booking from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. TD Cowen raised Booking to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Booking from $274.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.53.

Booking Stock Performance

Booking stock opened at $155.67 on Wednesday. Booking has a 1 year low of $146.28 and a 1 year high of $220.81. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $168.99 and its 200-day moving average is $176.70. The company has a market cap of $116.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.23, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.17.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The business services provider reported $4.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $9.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.55 billion. Booking had a net margin of 25.53% and a negative return on equity of 102.96%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $99.50 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Booking will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In other Booking news, VP Peter Millones, Jr. sold 50,050 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 375,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,851,439.75. This represents a 11.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Ewout L. Steenbergen sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $12,618,327.82. The trade was a 25.06% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders have sold 77,425 shares of company stock worth $16,004,164 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Booking

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bogart Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Booking by 3,475.0% during the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 143 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Booking by 3,550.0% during the second quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN lifted its holdings in Booking by 2,400.0% in the second quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its holdings in Booking by 2,400.0% in the second quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 150 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Booking in the third quarter worth about $29,000. 92.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking reported adjusted Q3 EPS of $4.66, above the roughly $4.49 analyst estimate. Room nights grew 7% and adjusted EBITDA rose 9%; adjusted revenue increased 9% excluding a one-time legal-related impact. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted AI as an opportunity to improve travel planning and the customer experience, which could support Booking’s long-term competitiveness. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Reported revenue fell about 1% to $8.89 billion, below analyst expectations, while profit also declined. A roughly $900 million revenue impact tied to FTC action was a major drag on the reported results. Reuters report on FTC-related revenue impact
• Negative Sentiment: Booking warned of slower Q4 growth as international travel faces pressure from Middle East conflict, higher airfares and turmoil in Europe—raising concerns that demand momentum may cool. Travel-demand headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target to $205 from $248, and Barclays lowered its target to $170 from $210, signaling reduced expectations for the shares. JPMorgan target change Barclays target change

Booking Company 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.