11 Best Stocks In Each Sector in 2026

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9. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 95

Upside Potential as of February 23, 2026: 52.87%

Sector: Consumer Cyclical

On February 24, Morgan Stanley upgraded Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) to Overweight from Equal Weight, with a price target of $5,500.

Earlier on February 18, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) announced its fourth-quarter earnings, delivering results that outperformed expectations. The company reported an adjusted EPS of $48.80 and a revenue of $6.35 billion, surpassing forecasts by $0.61 and $0.23 billion, respectively.

“We are pleased to report strong results for 2025, delivering double-digit revenue growth, expanding Adjusted EBITDA margin by 193 basis points, and accelerating room night growth in every quarter,” expressed Glenn Fogel, Chief Executive Officer of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG). “These results highlight the strength of our platform and the discipline of our execution.”

While room nights rose 9% relative to the same period in 2024, gross bookings surged by an impressive 16% YoY to $43 billion. Additionally, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)’s adjusted EBITDA grew 19% YoY to $2.2 billion for the quarter. Looking ahead, the company projects room nights growth of 5-7% and revenue growth of 14-16%.

Since the earnings announcement, the stock has declined by approximately 9%. Overall, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is a consensus buy with just 19% of the analysts neutral on the stock. With a 1-year median price target of $5,917.50, the stock has an upside potential of 52.87%.

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is a Connecticut-based provider of travel and restaurant reservations and related services through online and traditional platforms. Founded in 1997, the company operates platforms such as Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, and KAYAK.

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