Booking Holdings Inc.

(NASDAQ Global Select)
Slightly Bearish -15

Bank of New York Mellon Corp Reduces Holdings in Booking Holdings Inc ...

πŸ“‰ Bank of New York Mellon Corp decreased its BKNG holdings by 6.7% in Q1, selling 24,738 shares while retaining a $1.45 billion position.

πŸ“ˆ Multiple new institutional investors entered the market recently, including KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING and Strive Asset Management with stakes valued around $26-$27 million each.

πŸ“‰ Analyst price targets were lowered by B. Riley Financial to $264, Royal Bank of Canada to $220, Citigroup to $225, and Argus to $210 in recent reports.

πŸ’° The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.42 on June 30th, establishing an annualized yield of 0.9% with a payout ratio of 22.11%.

πŸ‘” VP Peter J. Millones sold 62,500 shares for approximately $10.2 million in a transaction executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

πŸ“Š BKNG trades at a P/E ratio of 24.05 with a market capitalization of $141.65 billion and a beta of 1.07.

πŸ† The stock has received a consensus 'Moderate Buy' rating from MarketBeat with an average price target of $227.55.

πŸ“‰ Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 1,125 shares for $216,000 under a pre-arranged trading plan on April 17th.

Bullish Signals
  • Institutional ownership remains robust at 92.42%, indicating continued confidence from major funds despite some recent reductions.
  • Multiple new investors initiated positions in Q3 and Q4, suggesting fresh capital interest in the stock.
  • The company maintains a healthy dividend yield of 0.9% with a low payout ratio of 22.11%, providing income to shareholders.
  • Analyst consensus remains 'Moderate Buy' with 28 buy ratings compared to only 8 hold ratings.
Risk Factors
  • Major institutional investor Bank of New York Mellon reduced its position by 6.7% in Q1, signaling a decrease in confidence from a top-tier bank.
  • Several prominent analysts recently lowered their price targets, with Citigroup dropping to $225 and Royal Bank of Canada to $220.
  • VP Peter J. Millones executed a significant insider sale of 62,500 shares, reducing his personal stake by 12.82%.
Full Analysis
Bank of New York Mellon Corp reduced its stake in Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) by 6.7% during the first quarter, selling 24,738 shares to hold a remaining position of 344,745 shares valued at approximately $1.45 billion according to recent SEC filings. Despite this institutional reduction, several other hedge funds and asset managers initiated new positions in BKNG during the third and fourth quarters, with stakes ranging from roughly $26 million to $27 million each, while overall institutional ownership remains high at 92.42%. Analyst sentiment has shifted downward recently, with major firms like B. Riley Financial, Royal Bank of Canada, Citigroup, and Argus lowering their price targets between $210 and $264, though ratings remain generally positive or neutral. The stock trades at a P/E ratio of 24.05 with a market cap of $141.65 billion. The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share to shareholders of record on June 5th, resulting in an annualized yield of 0.9%. Insider trading activity includes significant sales by VP Peter J. Millones and Director Vanessa Ames Wittman under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans.