MJP Associates Acquires Stake in Booking Holdings Amid Market Activity

MJP Associates Inc. ADV has acquired a new position in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) during the second quarter, according to a recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 42 shares of the travel services provider, valued at approximately $243,000. This move is part of a broader trend, as several hedge funds and institutional investors have also been actively trading shares of Booking Holdings.

Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Booking by 34.9% in the fourth quarter, now owning 251 shares worth about $1,249,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares. Meanwhile, Revolve Wealth Partners LLC entered the market with a new stake valued at approximately $209,000. Other notable movements include Private Advisor Group LLC, which raised its stake by 14.1% in the first quarter, bringing its total to 2,768 shares valued at $12,753,000. Formidable Asset Management LLC also increased its stake by 2.2%, now holding 326 shares worth $1,502,000, while HS Management Partners LLC expanded its holdings by 2.1%, now owning 13,552 shares valued at $62,433,000. Notably, institutional investors collectively own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Trading Activity

In related news, insider transactions at Booking Holdings indicate significant trading activity. On November 7th, insider Paulo Pisano sold 200 shares at an average price of $5,000 per share, resulting in a total transaction of $1,000,000. Following this sale, Pisano retains 1,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,570,000, reflecting an 11.67% decrease in ownership.

Additionally, Director Robert J. Mylod, Jr. sold 40 shares on the same day for $200,000, reducing his ownership by 4.00%. In the last quarter, insiders sold a total of 2,424 shares worth $12,912,874. Currently, only 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders, highlighting a trend of significant trading activity among executives.

Market Performance and Analyst Insights

Shares of Booking Holdings opened at $5,048.01 on Friday. The company’s fifty-day moving average is $5,261.72, while the 200-day moving average sits at $5,415.29. With a market capitalization of $162.72 billion, the firm has a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.81 and a beta of 1.34. Over the past year, Booking’s stock has seen a low of $4,096.23 and a high of $5,839.41.

Booking Holdings recently reported its quarterly earnings on October 28th, achieving earnings per share (EPS) of $99.50, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $95.56 by $3.94. The company generated revenue of $9.01 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $8.71 billion. This performance reflects a 12.7% increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year.

In light of this performance, Booking has set its fiscal year 2025 guidance at EPS, with analysts projecting an EPS of 209.92 for the current year.

The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $9.60 per share, payable on December 31st, with the record date set for December 5th. This dividend translates to an annualized total of $38.40, yielding 0.8%, and reflects a payout ratio of 24.96%.

Booking Holdings Inc., formerly known as The Priceline Group Inc., serves as a leading provider of online reservation and related services for travel and dining. Through its various brands, including Booking.com, Priceline.com, and Agoda.com, it connects consumers with service providers worldwide, offering a range of accommodation options.