For the second time this year, Carnival raised its annual profit forecast. The company now expects adjusted net income of $1.55 billion, marking an increase of $275 million. While revenue growth continued to slow, Carnival stated that sales hit a record in the second quarter. Revenues grew nearly 18% year-over-year and totaled $5.8 billion, edging past the $5.7 billion estimate. Historical research studies suggest that approximately half of a stock's price appreciation is due to its industry grouping. In fa ...

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 sellside) 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. Of the 33 recommendations that de ...

River cruises, once considered an activity primarily for older travelers, are having a renaissance. Young social media influencers are touting the benefits of traveling across places like Europe via its rivers. It's convenient and cost-effective. Plus, it allows passengers to see a diverse range of cities across the region while only unpacking once. Viking Holdings (VIK) Booking Holdings (BKNG) First quarter 2024 results were promising for Booking Holdings. Travelers booked over 300 million room nights in t ...

Top companies are focused on the things that create shareholder value, and they want their investors to focus on those things as well. In a recent interview with Barron's, Fogel was asked why Booking hasn't split its stock yet considering some people think it's too expensive at close to $4,000 per share. A stock split would lower the price per share and increase the share count. Fogel responded by saying, "I don't think I want that kind of investor." A 2023 paper from the Journal of Risk and Financial Manag ...

Investors should also note that BKNG has a PEG ratio of 1.19 right now. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Internet - Commerce industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 0.95 as of yesterday's close. Heading into today, shares of the online booking service had gained 5.85% over the past month, outpacing the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 1% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.15% in that time. Bookin ...

Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $178.54 points to a change of +17.3% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged. The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month ...

This disclaimer out of the way, I can't deny that investors are indeed excited about stock splits, and many companies are making stock-split announcements accordingly. In this article, I'll highlight three stocks from the S&P 500 that could very well split within the next year or so. But perhaps Costco is ready to make a change and split its stock. Former Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti was with the company for 40 years and is seen as one of the main architects for the success of the business. But h ...

Core Insights - Strategic partnerships are crucial for the company's growth, enhancing its consumer-facing brands like Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, and OpenTable [2] - The company is experiencing strong travel demand, benefiting from robust booking offerings and a solid partner base [10][20] Partnerships and Collaborations - Agoda signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore Tourism Board to promote Singapore as a top destination, leveraging its online travel expertise [3] - Agoda's partnership with DBS introduces a reward point redemption system for Hong Kong customers, enhancing customer experience [4] - Booking.com partnered with the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center to promote LGBTQ+ travel experiences [11] - Collaboration with Peerspace offers exclusive discounts on hotels and rental cars for event organizers [12] - Agoda's partnership with Meituan aims to boost the China travel market by sharing hotel inventories and content [17] Financial Performance and Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for gross bookings in 2024 is $162.01 billion, reflecting a growth of 7.6% from 2023 [6] - The company's gross travel bookings in 2023 reached $150.6 billion, a 24% increase from the previous year [13] - Revenue estimates for 2024 are projected at $23.09 billion, indicating an 8.1% year-over-year growth, with earnings expected to rise by 17.3% to $178.54 per share [14] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - Booking Holdings and Expedia dominate the online travel booking industry, accounting for about 60% of travel bookings in Europe and the U.S. in 2023 [8] - Booking Holdings has outperformed competitors, gaining 12.6% year-to-date compared to losses from EXPE and TRIP [15] - The online travel booking market is projected to reach $1.18 trillion by 2030, with a CAGR of 9.7% from 2024 to 2030 [18] Strategic Advantages - A strong partner base and customer momentum provide Booking Holdings with a competitive edge over peers like Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Airbnb [20] - Investments in generative AI technology and expanding global footprints are expected to enhance the company's near-term prospects [16]

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well. Value Score Growth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time. It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 22.25; value investors shou ...

Let's examine three travel plays with robust share price momentum that still trade at reasonable valuations. For the first quarter, Booking beat on sales and earnings, with gross travel bookings rising 10% year-over-year (YOY). Given its market leadership in the face of the ongoing travel resurgence, it's tough to hop off BKNG stock. Indeed, it is at a fresh new high. In fact, the potential for the actual summer numbers to surpass estimates is likely. As travel picks up, hotel bookings are sure to get a nic ...