$EXPE

Expedia Group (EXPE) stock rose nearly 6% this week after reporting strong Q2 results, beating earnings and revenue estimates for the fifth consecutive quarter. The company raised full-year guidance, citing broad-based growth, particularly in U.S. consumer demand and B2B segment. However, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $235 price target, citing concerns about inventory and direct traffic. Expedia's CEO highlighted the company's consistent performance, and a va

Midday trading saw gains in AI-related stocks like CoreWeave (+4%), Nebius (+5%), Lumentum (+8%), and Coherent (+6%). SpaceX (+5%) announced a Starship rocket test. Honeywell (+3%) reported strong orders. FTAI Aviation (+5%) approved a $500M share buyback. SK Hynix (+2%) and Intel (+5%) discussed potential U.S. chip manufacturing. J.B. Hunt (-13%) warned of lower Q3 earnings. Expedia (-1%) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley. Energy stocks fell with oil prices, including Diamondback Energy (-8%) an

SK Hynix and Intel shares rose over 2.5% after reports of potential U.S. memory chip manufacturing talks, though SK Hynix noted no decisions were made. J.B. Hunt shares dropped 11% due to expected Q3 earnings decline. Expedia fell 2.5% after a Morgan Stanley downgrade. Energy stocks declined with U.S. oil prices. Paychex and Union Pacific rose following analyst upgrades.

Analysts made several rating changes: Wolfe upgraded Paychex (PAYX) citing stable employment trends. UBS upgraded Union Pacific (UNP) to Buy with a $339 price target, expecting strong 2027 volume growth. Needham upgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals (RCKT) to Buy with a $9 target after FDA reaffirmed study design. JPMorgan upgraded Credicorp (BAP) to Overweight with a $482 target, seeing strong EPS growth. Morgan Stanley downgraded Expedia (EXPE) to Underweight with a $235 target, citing weaker assets

Wall Street analysts upgraded Credicorp (BAP) to Overweight, Paychex (PAYX) to Peer Perform, Rocket Pharmaceuticals (RCKT) to Buy, Similarweb (SMWB) to Buy, and Union Pacific (UNP) to Buy. Downgrades include Expedia (EXPE) to Underweight, Grupo Aval (AVAL) to Underweight, Hartford Financial (HIG) to Neutral, Meritage Homes (MTH) to Hold, and Nubank (NU) to Market Perform. Initiations: Airbnb (ABNB) with Equal Weight, Booking Holdings (BKNG) with Overweight, Dutch Bros (BROS) with Buy, Five9 (FIV

U.S. stock futures rose ahead of the Fed's rate decision. Alvotech gained 5.6% after a Barclays upgrade and price target increase. Beta Bionics fell 5.8% on a $150M offering. Expedia dropped 2.7% on an Underweight rating from Morgan Stanley. J.B. Hunt slid 9% after issuing an earnings warning. SK Hynix and Intel rose on reports of a potential U.S. memory-chip manufacturing deal.

Morgan Stanley downgraded Expedia (EXPE) to Underweight with a $235 price target, citing weaker consumer assets, higher supplier risk, and valuation premium. The firm notes improved execution but sees Expedia as the weakest in online travel on consumer supply differentiation and engagement.

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of online travel agencies, rating Booking Holdings (Overweight, $230 PT), Airbnb (Equal-weight, $170 PT), and Expedia (Underweight, $235 PT). The bank favors companies with unique inventory and strong direct traffic, citing AI's potential to drive high-value traffic. Morgan Stanley expects online travel bookings to grow at a 7% CAGR from 2026 to 2030, with fragmented supply becoming more valuable.

Expedia's stock fell 2.7% in pre-market trading after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $235 price target, citing concerns about user engagement and competitive positioning. The firm noted Expedia's monthly active user growth stalled at 0% in Q2 2026, compared to 6% at Booking.com and 10% at Airbnb. The broader market is trading modestly higher, indicating the decline is due to company-specific news.

Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin noted strong travel demand despite high gas prices, with Labor Day searches up 35% for vacation destinations. The company reported 14% revenue growth and 36% EPS increase in Q2, raising full-year 2026 guidance. Expedia stock is up 12% in six months but down 5% YTD. Analyst Mark Mahaney sees compelling valuation and sustainable mid-teens EPS outlook.