Expedia Group Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:EXPE)

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 9,228 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 46% compared to the average volume of 6,301 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EXPE has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group set a $266.00 price target on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Friday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $225.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Expedia Group from $250.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Expedia Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Expedia Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Expedia Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $281.74.

Expedia Group Stock Up 13.4%

NASDAQ:EXPE opened at $251.54 on Friday. Expedia Group has a 1 year low of $130.01 and a 1 year high of $303.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The stock has a market cap of $30.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.54, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $253.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.88.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.46. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 72.23% and a net margin of 8.78%.The company had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Expedia Group’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Expedia Group will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Expedia Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. Expedia Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.24%.

Expedia Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Expedia Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that OpenAI is rethinking ChatGPT shopping sparked a relief rally that lifted travel platforms including Booking and Expedia, driving buying interest in EXPE. OpenAI/ChatGPT shopping report
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option volume — about 9,228 calls (~+46% vs. normal) — indicates short-term bullish bets and likely added buying pressure on the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain supportive: EXPE beat Q4 EPS and revenue expectations (Feb. 12), showing margin improvement and strong ROE, which underpins investor confidence in upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Product and demand initiatives: Expedia partnered with PredictHQ to forecast sports-tourism demand and management says the company has “radically changed direction,” signaling execution on growth/monetization initiatives. CFO interview PredictHQ partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data in the briefing appears anomalous (reported as 0 shares / NaN change and 0.0 days-to-cover) — no clear signal on incremental short-squeeze risk from that entry.
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target on EXPE to $245 while keeping a Neutral rating — a downward PT revision can pressure sentiment despite the rating remaining neutral. Mizuho price-target note
• Negative Sentiment: An insider (Robert J. Dzielak) sold 8,225 shares (~$1.8M) on March 4; insider selling is often viewed negatively by investors even if it can be routine. Insider sale filing

Insider Transactions at Expedia Group

In related news, insider Robert J. Dzielak sold 8,225 shares of Expedia Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.82, for a total value of $1,816,244.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 102,480 shares in the company, valued at $22,629,633.60. This trade represents a 7.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 9.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Expedia Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EXPE. Spire Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 114.3% in the 2nd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 150 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Expedia Group during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Expedia Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Expedia Group by 78.6% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the online travel company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Expedia Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 90.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Expedia Group Company Profile

Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) is a global travel technology company that operates an online marketplace connecting consumers, travel suppliers and third‑party partners. The company’s platform enables search, comparison and booking of travel products and services, including hotels, airline tickets, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises and packaged travel. Its portfolio comprises consumer-facing travel brands as well as corporate travel solutions and technology services that serve both leisure and business travelers.

Key offerings include consumer booking platforms and mobile apps that aggregate inventory from hotels, vacation rental managers, airlines and car rental companies, alongside ancillary travel services such as trip insurance and activities.