Searches for Japan soar, Asia and Caribbean flight prices hit 3-year low and business class demand strengthensKAYAK Unveils its Data-Driven Travel Trends that will Define 2025STAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers, get ready to flex those passports in 2025. According to data from KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, two-thirds of all flight searches on the platform for 2025 are for international flights. And the good news? International airfare in 2025 is cheaper than last year ...

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) Nasdaq London Investor Conference December 11, 2024 4:00 AM ET Company Participants Ewout Steenbergen - CFO Conference Call Participants Brian Nowak - Morgan Stanley Brian Nowak Okay. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to day two of the 2024 Nasdaq Tech Conference. We're really thrilled to have Booking Holdings with us today. Ewout Steenbergen joins us, the CFO of Booking Holdings. Thank you so much for joining us. Ewout Steenbergen Yes, good morning. Thanks, Brian. Brian No ...

Key Points Industry/Company - **Company**: Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) - **Industry**: Travel and Online Travel Agencies (OTA) Core Views and Arguments - **Transformational Program**: Booking Holdings is implementing a transformational program aimed at growing the top line faster than fixed operating expenses (OpEx). This program includes cost reductions and reinvestment in growth initiatives. - **Cost Reductions**: The company expects to achieve run rate cost reductions of $400 million to $450 million. - **Reinvestment**: The majority of the cost savings will be reinvested in growth initiatives, such as flights, attractions, ride share, rental cars, U.S., Asia, payments, and fintech. - **Europe Growth**: Europe has been the largest business for Booking Holdings and has experienced high single-digit growth in the third quarter. - **U.S. Growth**: The U.S. market has been growing at a slower pace compared to Europe, but the company expects it to become stronger over time. - **Asia Growth**: Asia is a significant growth opportunity for Booking Holdings, with the region expected to experience the fastest economic growth over the next decade. - **Ancillary Opportunities**: Booking Holdings is investing in ancillary opportunities such as rental cars, flights, ride share, and attractions to enhance the customer experience and drive revenue growth. Other Important Points - **Employee Engagement**: The transformational program is also aimed at improving employee engagement and simplifying the organization. - **Customer Sentiment**: Consumer sentiment in Europe has been improving, leading to increased booking volumes and repeat customers. - **Alternative Accommodations**: Booking Holdings is focusing on expanding its alternative accommodation supply, particularly in the U.S., by targeting professionally managed properties. - **Flights**: The company has seen strong growth in its flight business, with a 39% increase in ticket sales in the last quarter. - **Rideshare**: Rideshare is one of the ancillary opportunities that Booking Holdings is exploring to provide a more comprehensive travel experience. - **Gen AI**: Booking Holdings is exploring the use of Gen AI to improve efficiency, enhance customer service, and create personalized travel experiences.

Carnival Corporation & Plc’s (CCL) Cunard is making waves in the luxury cruise industry with an extraordinary surge in guest bookings for 2024. During the period Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2024, the company reported 73,000 additional guest reservations compared to the same period in 2023, reflecting an impressive 23% year-on-year growth. The brand experienced a remarkable 49% increase in first-time guests compared to the same period in 2023.This surge in bookings marks the highest number of guests secured in any e ...

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I would define part of my investment strategy as a dividend growth strategy. I love investing in companies that have a strong, fast-growing dividend as well as capital appreciation. Over the past year, several notable businesses started their dividendI'm a 22-year-old Business & Finance student and have been actively investing since August 2022. My goal is financial freedom by 40 through investing in high-quality, dominant "compounding machines." I focus on long-term growth, looking for companies with durab ...

Core Viewpoint - Booking Holdings reported strong third-quarter earnings, beating estimates and showing significant year-over-year growth, which has led to a positive stock performance in recent weeks [2][3]. Financial Performance - Earnings per share for Q3 2024 were $83.89, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.63% and increasing 16% year over year [2]. - Revenues reached $7.994 billion, surpassing estimates by 4.76% and growing 8.9% year over year on a reported basis [2]. - Merchant revenues were $4.97 billion, accounting for 62.2% of total revenues, and increased by 26% year over year [4]. - Agency revenues were $2.75 billion, representing 34.4% of total revenues, but decreased by 12.2% year over year [5]. - Advertising & Other revenues totaled $269 million, up 3.1% year over year [6]. - Gross bookings amounted to $43.4 billion, reflecting a 9.1% increase year over year [7]. Operational Metrics - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $1.9 million, up 11.6% year over year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 45.8%, expanding by 110 basis points [10]. - GAAP operating expenses were $4.82 billion, up 13.6% year over year, with operating expenses as a percentage of revenues increasing to 60.2% [10]. Balance Sheet Strength - As of September 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $15.78 billion, down from $16.3 billion as of June 30, 2024 [13]. - Long-term debt decreased to $16.21 billion from $13.36 billion as of June 30, 2024 [14]. - Free cash flow was reported at $2.3 billion, slightly down from $2.4 billion in the previous quarter [15]. Future Guidance - For Q4 2024, room night growth is expected between 6% and 8%, with gross bookings growth anticipated in the 7-9% range [16]. - For the full year 2024, gross bookings growth is projected at about 8%, with revenue growth expected at 10% [17]. Market Performance - Booking Holdings shares increased by 25.9% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Internet Commerce industry's return of 25.1% and the broader Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector's 19.6% [3].

CHONGQING, CHINA - OCTOBER 30: In this photo illustration - The Booking.com app page is displayed on ... [+] a smartphone in front of the Booking Holdings logo on October 30, 2024 in Chongqing, China. (Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAfter a 45% growth year-to-date, at the current price of around $5109 per share, we believe Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), the world’s largest online travel agency that offers services from lodging to airline tickets to car rentals - looks appropriately priced. BK ...

Online Travel Market Insights - The online travel market is projected to exceed €1 trillion by 2032, with online bookings expected to account for 65% of the global market by 2026 [1] - Mobile devices are anticipated to drive over half of the traffic to travel websites, indicating a significant shift towards mobile-first strategies [1] - AI and personalization are transforming the travel experience, with 20% of travelers in countries like Germany and South Korea utilizing AI tools for planning [1] Accommodations Market Trends - The accommodations market is increasingly favoring mobile bookings, with over one-third of global bookings made via mobile in 2023 [2] - Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Airbnb are leading the market, showing solid growth in both revenue and bookings [2] Airline Industry Developments - By 2024, over 70% of global airline bookings are expected to be made online, with mobile apps and airline websites being the primary channels [3] - Digital wallets and instant payment options are gaining popularity, especially among younger travelers [3] Key Statistics and Projections - The global online travel market size is projected to grow significantly, with specific figures for 2023, 2024, and 2032 provided in the report [4] - The share of online travel bookings as a percentage of total travel bookings is expected to rise from 2023 to 2026 [4] - The online travel agency market value is also projected to increase, with detailed breakdowns by domestic and international trips [4] Consumer Behavior Insights - A significant percentage of travelers find it important to have the option to book their entire trip online, with generational differences noted in preferences [4] - The use of AI in travel planning is becoming more common, with a notable percentage of travelers expressing curiosity about AI tools [5] - Travelers are increasingly influenced by digital advancements in travel services, highlighting the importance of technology in consumer decision-making [5]

Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Booking Holdings (BKNG) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Booking Holdings currently has an ...