Bender Robert & Associates Raises Holdings in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)

Bender Robert & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,162 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the quarter. Booking accounts for 1.9% of Bender Robert & Associates’ holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Bender Robert & Associates’ holdings in Booking were worth $7,669,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of BKNG. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Booking during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,068,137,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Booking by 1.3% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 383,996 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,184,224,000 after buying an additional 5,040 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Booking by 61.6% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 295,891 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $596,303,000 after buying an additional 112,831 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Booking by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 217,517 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $510,828,000 after buying an additional 5,506 shares during the period. Finally, Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd lifted its position in shares of Booking by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd now owns 149,902 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $462,290,000 after buying an additional 4,048 shares in the last quarter. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Booking Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BKNG traded down $13.77 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $3,430.14. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 156,374 shares, compared to its average volume of 274,057. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $2,456.93 and a 1 year high of $3,918.00. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $3,586.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3,364.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.40.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The business services provider reported $32.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $29.72 by $2.28. Booking had a net margin of 20.08% and a negative return on equity of 751.49%. The company had revenue of $4.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $24.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 175.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Booking Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th were paid a dividend of $8.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $35.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. Booking’s payout ratio is 29.67%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 4,302 shares of Booking stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,422.75, for a total value of $14,724,670.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 33,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $114,826,417. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,534.10, for a total value of $2,650,575.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 26,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $95,318,211.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 4,302 shares of Booking stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,422.75, for a total value of $14,724,670.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 33,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $114,826,417. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 5,461 shares of company stock worth $18,815,825 in the last quarter. 0.15% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. B. Riley began coverage on Booking in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $4,400.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Booking from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Booking in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. Seaport Res Ptn restated a “buy” rating on shares of Booking in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $3,850.00 target price on shares of Booking in a report on Thursday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Booking has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,723.41.

Booking 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.