HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Booking Holdings Inc. $BKNG

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,184 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 422 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Booking were worth $49,609,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Booking by 150.0% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 5 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Booking during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Booking by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 5 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 4 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Booking in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Booking by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 6 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 2 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,191.15, for a total value of $77,867.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 687 shares in the company, valued at $3,566,320.05. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Glenn D. Fogel sold 953 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,181.34, for a total value of $4,937,817.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 19,615 shares in the company, valued at $101,631,984.10. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,096 shares of company stock worth $11,120,014. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Booking Stock Performance

Shares of BKNG stock opened at $4,140.15 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $5,077.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5,208.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $133.44 billion, a PE ratio of 26.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.21. Booking Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $4,020.54 and a 1 year high of $5,839.41.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on BKNG shares. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Booking from $6,500.00 to $6,600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho raised shares of Booking from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $6,000.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Booking from $6,806.00 to $6,608.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. KeyCorp cut their target price on shares of Booking from $6,630.00 to $6,500.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Booking from $6,000.00 to $6,250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Twenty-six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Booking currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $6,171.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Booking

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Booking’s “connected-trip” segment is growing >20%, improving margins and cash-flow timing; management’s AI partnerships (including ChatGPT integration) could boost conversion and long-term revenue per user. Booking.com Stock Is Down 27 — Can Connected-Trip Growth and AI Integration Drive a Rebound?
• Positive Sentiment: KAYAK-led brand/AI changes signal a strategic push to raise conversion and streamline inventory/pricing, which could help Booking reclaim share or improve margins if execution succeeds. Booking Holdings Routes Brand Push And AI Shift Through KAYAK Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Booking will post Q4 and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 18 (around 4:00 p.m. ET); outcomes and guidance will likely drive the next directional move. Booking Holdings to Make Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Press Release Available on Company’s Investor Relations Website on February 18
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect strong EPS growth for Q4 but flag U.S. pricing softness and booking normalization — a beat could re-rate shares, while conservative guidance would cap upside. BKNG Gears Up to Report Q4 Earnings: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights share-price weakness and valuation questions (DCF-based debate); if results or guidance disappoint, valuation-driven selling could continue. Do Recent Share Price Weakness And DCF Estimates Signal An Opportunity In Booking Holdings (BKNG)?
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons with Airbnb highlight competitive risks — marketplace mix, pricing power and product differentiation remain potential headwinds if Airbnb or others gain share. Booking Vs. Airbnb: Which Travel Giant Wins The 2026 Upside Race?
• Negative Sentiment: Data entries report a “large increase” in short interest for February but show zero/NaN figures and inconsistencies — whether this reflects positioning or reporting errors, it increases near-term uncertainty and potential volatility ahead of earnings.

Booking Profile

Booking Holdings Inc is a global online travel company that operates a portfolio of consumer brands and technology platforms that facilitate the search for and booking of travel services. The company’s businesses focus on accommodations, transportation and related travel services through consumer-facing websites and apps as well as partner distribution channels. Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in the late 1990s and adopted the Booking Holdings name in 2018; it is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Its core offerings include online reservations for hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging; flight and car rental search and booking; and ancillary services that support travel planning and on-property experiences.