Jim Cramer’s Latest Game Plan: 20 Stocks to Watch

8. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96

Referring to Booking Holdings Inc.’s (NASDAQ:BKNG) consistently strong quarterly reports, Cramer highlighted the incredulous speculation about traveling trends among consumers.

“Here’s one that makes a big splash every time. It’s called Booking Holdings. Yes, the old Priceline. It’s been ages since this company didn’t have a smashing quarter. Then everybody speculates about whether the consumer is still traveling.”

Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) is a leading provider of online and traditional travel services, including restaurant reservations and related offerings. Its second-quarter earnings surpassed analyst expectations in key areas as total revenue reached $5.86 billion, a year-over-year growth of 7.3%. Additionally, net income increased by 18%, indicating solid performance in a competitive market.

Management offered a cautious outlook for the remainder of the year, anticipating third-quarter room night growth to fall between 3% and 5%, a decrease from the 7.1% growth experienced in the second quarter and significantly lower than the 14.9% growth reported during the same period last year.

On October 24, Oppenheimer analyst Jed Kelly raised the price target on Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) to $5,000 from $4,200 and kept an Outperform rating. While the recent increase in share prices, along with geopolitical and electoral uncertainties, presents challenges for upcoming earnings, Oppenheimer continues to view Booking as a favorable long-term investment. The firm noted that sentiment around the company is positive within the online travel sector, with increased confidence that profit margins will expand in a stabilizing travel environment by 2025.