Vanessa Ames Wittman Sells 15 Shares of Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG) Stock

16 Jan 2026, 18:00 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG – Get Free Report) Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,191.15, for a total transaction of $77,867.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 687 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,566,320.05. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Vanessa Ames Wittman also recently made the following trade(s):

On Monday, December 15th, Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of Booking stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $5,362.00, for a total transaction of $80,430.00.
On Monday, November 17th, Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares of Booking stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5,030.00, for a total value of $75,450.00.

Booking Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:BKNG traded down $77.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $5,115.91. The company had a trading volume of 373,076 shares, compared to its average volume of 208,016. The firm has a market cap of $164.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.25, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.23. Booking Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $4,096.23 and a one year high of $5,839.41. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $5,182.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $5,366.38.

Booking (NASDAQ:BKNG – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $99.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $95.56 by $3.94. Booking had a net margin of 19.37% and a negative return on equity of 134.86%. The business had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.71 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $83.39 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Booking Holdings Inc. will post 209.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Booking Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a dividend of $9.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $38.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Booking’s payout ratio is 24.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BKNG shares. Robert W. Baird set a $6,325.00 price objective on shares of Booking in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of Booking from $6,200.00 to $6,400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Booking from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $6,150.00 price objective on Booking in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their target price on Booking from $6,500.00 to $6,600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Booking has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $6,225.56.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Booking

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Booking

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew 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 acquiring an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Booking by 150.0% in the 3rd 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 period. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Booking during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Booking during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Booking during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 92.42% of the company’s stock.

Booking News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Booking this week:

Positive Sentiment: KAYAK’s 2026 “What the Future” report highlights destination and behavior trends that support continued travel demand — a tailwind for Booking’s core marketplaces. KAYAK Predicts: Well-th trips, next gen destinations, and small-town escapes to define travel this year
Neutral Sentiment: Options-market flow is being analyzed for directional bets and hedging around BKNG — this can signal positioning but is not a definitive directional catalyst by itself. 6BKNG : What the Options Market Tells Us About Booking Holdings
Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and search activity around Booking is drawing attention but doesn’t by itself explain near-term price direction. Investors Heavily Search Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG): Here is What You Need to Know
Neutral Sentiment: Roundups and analyst coverage (e.g., top stock reports) are increasing visibility but provide mixed, non-specific short-term impact. Top Stock Reports for American Express, Intuitive Surgical & Booking
Negative Sentiment: CEO Glenn D. Fogel disclosed sales totaling 1,013 shares on Jan. 15 (two Form 4 filings) for roughly $5.25M — a visible reduction in insider holdings that can pressure sentiment despite the small percentage change relative to total ownership. Form 4 (Fogel) – SEC Filing Form 4 (Fogel) – SEC Filing
Negative Sentiment: Director Vanessa Ames Wittman sold 15 shares (~$77.9k) on Jan. 15 — a small absolute amount but contributes to the pattern of insider selling cited by the market. Form 4 (Wittman) – SEC Filing

About Booking

(Get Free Report)

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.