Barclays Raises Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Price Target to $4,500.00

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) had its target price upped by Barclays from $3,900.00 to $4,500.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on BKNG. Tigress Financial boosted their price target on Booking from $4,285.00 to $4,580.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Booking from $3,950.00 to $3,750.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Booking from $4,025.00 to $3,860.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Booking from $4,150.00 to $4,100.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Booking from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $4,092.68.

Booking Trading Up 1.5 %

NASDAQ BKNG opened at $4,233.18 on Tuesday. Booking has a 12 month low of $2,733.04 and a 12 month high of $4,272.88. The stock has a market cap of $143.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.87, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.40. The company’s 50 day moving average is $3,832.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3,780.65.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The business services provider reported $41.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $39.22 by $2.68. The company had revenue of $5.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.77 billion. Booking had a net margin of 22.46% and a negative return on equity of 200.87%. Booking’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $37.62 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Booking will post 176.92 EPS for the current year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th were paid a $8.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 6th. This represents a $35.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. Booking’s payout ratio is 26.25%.

Insider Transactions at Booking

In other news, insider Paulo Pisano sold 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,887.61, for a total value of $388,761.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,722,379.07. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Booking news, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4,067.65, for a total value of $3,050,737.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 24,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $100,556,375.65. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Paulo Pisano sold 100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,887.61, for a total value of $388,761.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,787 shares in the company, valued at $14,722,379.07. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Booking

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Booking by 133.3% in the 2nd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 7 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC bought a new position in Booking in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kings Path Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Booking during the second quarter worth $28,000. West Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Booking during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Booking in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Booking Company Profile

Booking Holdings Inc, formerly The Priceline Group Inc, is a provider of travel and restaurant online reservation and related services. The Company, through its online travel companies (OTCs), connects consumers wishing to make travel reservations with providers of travel services across the world. It offers consumers an array of accommodation reservations (including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, vacation rentals and other properties) through its Booking.com, priceline.com and agoda.com brands.