On average, Canadians are planning to dine out 6 times per month in 2026.1When dining out in 2026, 41 per cent of Canadians would prefer an earlier dinner over a late dinner.170 per cent of Canadians agree that dining out is a way to feel connected to others.1 TORONTO, Dec. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, reveals its list of the Top 100 Restaurants in Canada for 20252, showcasing the stand out restaurants across Canada. The list is compiled from analysing ov ...

I am an engineer and an individual who is passionate about finance/stock investment. I hold a Ph.D. in engineering and have been involved in acoustics and noise research for the past years. I am interested in capital appreciation opportunities. These include purchasing high-quality undervalued companies, and great companies that are growing at a high rate and that are reasonably priced. I also invest in dividend-paying stocks as long as these are good companies, and they are correctly priced. I hope to prov ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses investment strategies focusing on capital appreciation through high-quality undervalued companies and dividend-paying stocks, emphasizing the importance of proper pricing for investment decisions. Group 1: Investment Strategies - The company is interested in capital appreciation opportunities, including purchasing high-quality undervalued companies [1] - The focus is also on investing in great companies that are growing at a high rate and are reasonably priced [1] - Dividend-paying stocks are considered for investment as long as they are good companies and correctly priced [1] Group 2: Analyst's Position - The analyst has a beneficial long position in the shares of BKNG through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [2] - The article expresses the analyst's own opinions and is not influenced by compensation from any company mentioned [2] Group 3: Due Diligence - Investors are encouraged to conduct their due diligence before investing in any stock, as investing carries significant risks [3] - The article emphasizes that past performance is not a guarantee of future results, and no specific investment recommendations are provided [4]

Core Insights - The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly impacting e-commerce, with AI-driven online sales on Black Friday reaching a record high of $11.8 billion, reflecting a 9.1% year-over-year increase [1] - Online traffic surged to over 1 trillion, marking an 805% year-over-year increase, aided by AI-powered chatbots that helped customers find the best prices despite tariff-related price hikes [2] - E-commerce sales for Black Friday in 2025 are projected to grow by 10.4% year over year, with estimates for this year's sales reaching $18 billion, a 3% increase from last year [2] E-commerce Stock Recommendations - Five e-commerce stocks are recommended for investment in 2026: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE), Etsy Inc. (ETSY), Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG), and 1stdibs.Com Inc. (DIBS), all carrying favorable Zacks Ranks [3][8] Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Amazon is experiencing growth from its Prime and Amazon Web Services (AWS) segments, utilizing AI technologies such as the Claude chatbot and Trainium2 AI chips [6][9] - The company has invested $8 billion in Anthropic and plans to use 1 million custom Trainium2 chips for AI applications by 2025 [7] - Amazon's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for next year are 11.3% and 9.2%, respectively, with a 2% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 30 days [11] Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE) - Expedia is leveraging AI for personalized trip planning through tools like AI-powered search filters and itinerary builders, integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its app [12] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 6.3% and an earnings growth rate of 20.8% for next year, with a 7.9% improvement in earnings estimates recently [13] Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) - Booking Holdings is enhancing its travel services with AI-driven tools that improve user engagement and booking conversion rates [15] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 8.9% and an earnings growth rate of 15.8% for next year, with a slight improvement in earnings estimates [17] Etsy Inc. (ETSY) - Etsy is focusing on AI-driven personalization and advanced search ranking models to enhance user experience and drive sales [19] - The expected revenue growth rate for Etsy is 3.4%, with earnings growth projected to exceed 100% for next year [20] 1stdibs.Com Inc. (DIBS) - 1stdibs.Com connects sellers of luxury items with buyers, utilizing AI to monitor its impact on the design market [21] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 2.8% and an earnings growth rate of 32.5% for next year, with a significant improvement in earnings estimates [22]

Core Insights - Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is recognized as one of the best consumer cyclical stocks, providing travel services through various platforms and managing over four million properties [1] - As of November 28th, 23 out of 39 analysts rated Booking Holdings Inc. as a Buy, with an average share price target of $6,207.21 [2] - Bank of America upgraded Booking Holdings Inc. to Buy from Neutral, maintaining a $6,000 price target, citing that concerns over AI competition were overstated [2] Analyst Recommendations - 23 out of 39 analysts recommend Booking Holdings Inc. as a Buy, with 5 Strong Buy and 11 Hold ratings [2] - The average price target for Booking Holdings Inc. is set at $6,207.21 [2] Market Position and Performance - Booking Holdings Inc. benefits from strong relationships with hospitality firms, allowing it to retain users and offer better deals compared to AI platforms [2] - Key performance metrics include better deals, margins, and revenue per available room, which are critical for the company's success [3] Earnings Insights - During the latest earnings call, management noted that traditional search traffic is still growing year-over-year, despite concerns about AI platforms [3] - The CFO highlighted that while leads from large language models are currently small, they are on the rise, indicating a potential hybrid future between traditional search and AI [3] - Early signals show improvements in search speed, conversion rates, cancellation rates, and customer satisfaction [3]

Core Viewpoint - Booking Holdings Inc. is currently experiencing a slight increase in stock price, but has seen a decline over the past month and year, raising questions about its valuation relative to performance [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - The current stock price of Booking Holdings Inc. is $4912.30, reflecting a 0.01% increase [1]. - Over the past month, the stock has decreased by 3.21%, and over the past year, it has fallen by 5.93% [1]. Group 2: P/E Ratio Analysis - The P/E ratio is a critical metric for assessing a company's market performance, comparing current share price to earnings per share (EPS) [3]. - Booking Holdings Inc. has a P/E ratio of 31.97, which is significantly lower than the industry average P/E ratio of 65.85 in the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure sector [4]. - A lower P/E ratio may suggest that the stock is undervalued or that shareholders do not expect future growth [4][8]. Group 3: Investment Considerations - While a lower P/E can indicate undervaluation, it may also imply a lack of expected growth, necessitating a comprehensive analysis beyond just the P/E ratio [7][8]. - Investors are advised to consider other financial metrics and qualitative factors alongside the P/E ratio for informed investment decisions [8].

Core Viewpoint - Booking Holdings reported strong Q3 2025 earnings, beating estimates and showing significant year-over-year growth in both earnings per share and revenues, indicating robust operational performance and positive market trends [2][13]. Financial Performance - Q3 2025 earnings per share were $99.5, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.6% and increasing 18.6% year over year [2]. - Revenues reached $9.01 billion, surpassing estimates by 3.12% and growing 12.7% year over year, with an 8% increase on a constant currency basis [2]. - Adjusted EBITDA rose 15% year over year to approximately $4.2 billion, exceeding guidance by 6 percentage points, with an adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of 110 basis points to 47% [13]. Revenue Breakdown - Merchant revenues accounted for $6.13 billion (68.1% of total revenues), up 23.3% year over year [5]. - Agency revenues were $2.57 billion (28.5% of total revenues), down 6.7% year over year [5]. - Advertising & Other revenues totaled $308 million (3.4% of total revenues), increasing 14.5% year over year [5]. Operational Highlights - Room nights reached 323 million, an 8.2% increase year over year, driven by strong demand across major regions, particularly in the United States [6]. - Alternative accommodations listings grew to over 8.6 million, up about 10% year over year, with double-digit room night growth [7]. - Connected Trip transactions grew mid-20% year over year, representing a low double-digit percentage of total transactions [8]. Cost and Expense Management - Marketing expenses increased 8.8% year over year, accounting for 4.7% of gross bookings, slightly lower than the previous year [9][10]. - Sales and other expenses as a percentage of gross bookings were 2.1%, slightly higher than the prior year, driven by an increasing merchant mix [11]. - Adjusted fixed operating expenses rose 10% year over year, influenced by increased cloud costs and personnel expenses [12]. Guidance and Outlook - For Q4 2025, room night growth is expected between 4% and 6%, with gross bookings projected to grow 11-13% [15]. - Full-year 2025 guidance anticipates room night growth of around 7%, gross bookings growth of 11-12%, and revenue growth of approximately 12% [16]. - The stock has a strong Growth Score of A and a momentum score of A, indicating positive investor sentiment [18].

Core Insights - Booking Holdings Inc. is the world's leading provider of online travel and related services, with a market cap of $158.1 billion and operations in over 220 countries and territories [1][2] Company Performance - Booking's stock has dropped 15.9% from its all-time high of $5,839.41 on July 8, and has declined 13.9% over the past three months, underperforming the Amplify Travel Tech ETF's 7.9% decline during the same period [3] - Year-to-date, BKNG stock has dipped 1.1% and has declined 5.8% over the past 52 weeks, compared to the ETF's 5.6% decline in 2025 and 7.6% over the past year [4] - Following the release of Q3 results on October 28, which showed room nights growth of 8% and gross bookings surge of 14%, net revenues increased 12.7% year-over-year to $9 billion, beating expectations by 3.1% [5] Competitive Landscape - Booking has significantly lagged behind its peer Expedia Group, Inc., which saw a 38.3% surge over the past year [6]

Core Insights - Booking Holdings Inc. is recognized as one of the most profitable large-cap stocks to invest in, with a recent upgrade to Outperform by Wedbush and a price target set at $6,000 [1] - The company demonstrated strong global travel demand in Q3 2025, meeting expectations and showcasing its position as the best Online Travel Agency (OTA) globally [1][3] Financial Performance - Booking Holdings reported $50 billion in Gross Bookings for Q3 2025, reflecting a 14% year-over-year increase [2] - Revenue for the quarter reached $9.0 billion, growing by 13% compared to the previous year [2] - Adjusted EBITDA was reported at $4.2 billion, marking a 15% increase year-over-year, while Adjusted EPS surged by 19% to $99.50 per share [2] Strategic Initiatives - The company's Genius loyalty program and advancements in AI technologies, such as AI-powered chatbots and Smart Messenger, are highlighted as key differentiators that enhance customer and partner experiences [3] - Booking Holdings operates in the online and traditional travel and restaurant reservations sector, both in the US and internationally [3]

Market Overview - Tech stocks are leading the market surge, with the NASDAQ composite and NASDAQ 100 both up approximately 2.5%, marking their best day since May [2][3] - The S&P 500 is up about 1.5%, while the Russell 2000, indicative of small caps, is slightly outperforming the S&P 500 [3] - The bond market shows a decline in the 10-year T-note yield to 4.04%, nearing yearly lows, while the 30-year yield is down to 4.68% [4] Sector Performance - The tech sector is up 2.4%, followed by consumer discretionary at 1.5%, with communication services also performing well [5] - Defensive sectors like staples are down by 1%, indicating bullish sentiment in the market [6] Notable Stock Movements - Alphabet reached a record high, increasing by 6%, while Apple is on track for another record closing high at 1.7% [6] - Tesla saw a nearly 7% increase, and Meta rebounded by 3.5% after recent declines [6] - Semiconductor stocks are performing well, with Lamb Research and AMD both up 5.5%, and Micron up 7.5% [7] Cryptocurrency Insights - Bitcoin is up 1.15% over the last 24 hours, but the entire crypto market has lost about 29% of its market cap since October [10][11] - Bitcoin ETFs are experiencing significant outflows, with $3.5 billion withdrawn this month [9] - Analysts express caution regarding the sustainability of Bitcoin's recent rally, with some predicting a fade in momentum leading up to the FOMC meeting [12][13] Federal Reserve Outlook - There is an increasing expectation for a rate cut in December, with odds rising to approximately 80% [38][40] - Recent comments from Fed officials indicate concerns about a deteriorating labor market, supporting the case for a rate cut [38][39] - The unemployment rate has increased by 0.3 percentage points over the last three months, providing economic justification for potential cuts [43][49] Retail Sector Trends - Consumer spending remains strong, with year-over-year growth reported at 5% [70] - Retailers like Walmart and TJX are thriving, while others like Target are struggling [76][107] - The holiday shopping season is expected to be busy, with a significant shift towards online shopping [86] AI and Technology Developments - Google’s Gemini 3 chatbot has gained traction, outperforming competitors like GPT-5 in various benchmarks [58][60] - The competitive landscape in AI is rapidly evolving, with companies continuously releasing new models [62] - Walmart is positioning itself as a tech-powered retailer, focusing on predictive analytics and technology implementation [90][94]