Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) Shares Gap Down Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) gapped down before the market opened on Friday after DA Davidson lowered their price target on the stock from $294.00 to $260.00. The stock had previously closed at $227.24, but opened at $212.00. DA Davidson currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Expedia Group shares last traded at $216.5040, with a volume of 1,436,522 shares changing hands.

EXPE has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $225.00 target price (down from $250.00) on shares of Expedia Group in a research report on Friday. Wedbush lowered their price target on shares of Expedia Group from $290.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Expedia Group from $325.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Expedia Group from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Expedia Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twenty-one have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $288.87.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Expedia Group news, CAO Lance A. Soliday sold 849 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.08, for a total value of $210,619.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 11,662 shares in the company, valued at $2,893,108.96. This represents a 6.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Madhumita Moina Banerjee sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.00, for a total value of $258,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $752,328. The trade was a 25.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 9.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Expedia Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Expedia reported stronger-than-expected revenue and EPS (bookings +11%, EBITDA +32%), showing B2B momentum that supports growth ahead. Expedia Q4 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2026 revenue/booking outlook and flagged strong demand from business clients — an upside to medium‑term revenue trajectory driven by B2B contracts. Expedia forecasts upbeat 2026 bookings
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — Expedia boosted its quarterly payout (20% increase), returning more cash and signaling confidence in cash flow. (Company release)
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised price targets (Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Robert W. Baird, BMO, BTIG), reinforcing buy-side upside thesis for EXPE. Goldman Sachs target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic commentary on AI/“agentic commerce” — management plans to integrate AI-driven discovery and tools to keep travelers on Expedia’s platforms; long-term relevance play but execution risk remains. Expedia embraces agentic commerce
• Negative Sentiment: CFO cautioned on margins and described the economy as “dynamic,” dialing down margin expectations — comments amplified investor concern that near‑term profitability could be lower than the headline beat implied. CFO flags dynamic economy
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed targets/turned cautious (DA Davidson lowered to $260, TD Cowen cut to $260; Citi kept a Hold) — mixed analyst reactions increased short‑term uncertainty and selling pressure. Analyst downgrades/target cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted that soft margin guidance makes 2026 a tougher year for online travel stocks, driving relative underperformance despite the earnings beat. Why online travel stocks face a tough year

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EXPE. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Expedia Group by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Expedia Group in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Expedia Group during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Expedia Group by 114.3% during the second quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 150 shares of the online travel company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.76% of the company’s stock.

Expedia Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.06 billion, a PE ratio of 21.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $273.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.00.

Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The online travel company reported $3.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.46. Expedia Group had a return on equity of 73.89% and a net margin of 8.78%.The firm had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Expedia Group, Inc. will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expedia Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.48 dividend. This is a boost from Expedia Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Expedia Group’s payout ratio is currently 16.24%.

About Expedia Group

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.