Trip.com Stock (ex CTrip): Overview, Forecast and Dividend

Trip.com (ex. Ctrip) has grown to become one of the largest companies in the travel industry, with a significant market share in China and globally. Accordingly, the Trip.com stock is expected to see an upward movement because the company has the potential to generate significant positive financial results with an anticipated double digit growth. The growth should come from company expansion and growth of the travel industry. Additionally, these shares are perceived as a good buy because the company has robust financial health, which offers stability to investors.

Trip.com Stock Overview

Ctrip.com International Ltd was founded in 1999, with its primary office located in Shanghai, China. Ctrip went through the process of rebranding in 2019 and now operates under its new name Trip.com Group Limited. This rebranding was performed to better represent the company’s products and services, while also emphasising its international operations.

Trip.com offers travel-related services and it is among the largest online travel agencies in the world, with more than 400 million global users. The company offers online travel services, accommodation reservations and other related services to leisure and business travellers. Trip.com boasts over 30,000 employees and 1.2 million international accommodations. The air ticketing operations have offers from more than 480 airlines and on more than 2,600 airports in 200 countries.

Trip.com offers its services in China and international markets through the following popular brands:

• Ctrip – a top provider of online travel services in China
• Trip.com – a global online travel agency
• Qunar – popular travel agency in China
• Skyscanner – global travel research site

The Trip.com stock (ex Corp stock) was listed on the NASDAQ exchange in 2003, and it is also traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Trip.com stock ticker on NASDAQ is “TCOM“, and its Hong Kong ticker code is 009961.

Trip.com Stock History

The Trip.com stock price has been influenced by various company-related activities and changes in the external environment. Acquisition, trade wars, business expansions, and dual listing all positively or negatively affected the company per share price.

Trip.com Stock Price History

Ctrip shares were listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in December 2003. During the first trading session, Trip.com price doubled, fluctuating to a peak price of more than $37.

From December 2003, the stock price moved in an upward trend, often interrupted with significant price retracements. The first major price dip occurred in November 2008 when the value fell to an All-Time-Low closing price of $4.13, experiencing a sideways movement for the next couple of months. The stock peaked at an All-Time-High price of close to $60 in 2017 after acquisitions and partnerships made by the company combined with favourable movements in China’s travel industry.

Trip.com display occasional daily price fluctuations of close to 10%, while movements of less than 5% in a trading session are more common. The company also records irregular price gap ups or gap downs of around 10%. As evident from the chart, Trip.com price repeatedly goes through the price cycle of bottom-peak-bottom, which makes the stock suitable for different trading strategies.

A particularly important event for Ctrip stock was registered in April 2021 when Trip.com Group became formally listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. During the IPO day, Trip.com stock price increased by more than 4% above the issue price of HKD 268, raising more than $1 billion.

Trip.com Historical Evolution

Ctrip underwent a variety of strategic moves since it was established in 1999. Some important events in the Ctrip stock history refer to the major acquisition made by Ctrip. In November 2016, Ctrip International acquired Skyscanner for £1.4 billion, and it expanded its operations with this popular metasearch engine and travel agency to global markets.

Another significant acquisition was made in November 2017 when the company acquired the US travel site Trip.com, and later took over its name. The following year, Ctrip launched an online ticketing platform named TrainPal, offering services with a split ticket option for customers in Europe. These strategic moves were among the primary reasons behind the appreciation of Ctrp share price.

However, the coronavirus outbreak caused negative movement in Trip.com stock due to worsening financial performance and decreased business activities. The company’s revenue was reduced by 40% in 2020 compared to the revenue generated in 2019.

Trip.com Stock Splits

CTRP stock went through 4 stock splits since it was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. In April 2006, the company did its first stock split at a ratio of 2 for 1 share, indicating that shareholders were entitled to two new shares for each share owned before the split. The second Ctrip stock split occurred in July 2007, while the third and fourth splits were done in January 2010 and December 2015, respectively, all with the same split ratio of 2 for 1.

Why Invest in Trip.com Share Now? Points to Consider

Trip.com stock is popular among investors for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the main points that support the purchase of this stock.

• The company’s ambition to further expand its operations internationally and capture a higher market share of the global travel industry
• Trip.com stock is a dual listed share traded on the NASDAQ and Hong Kong Stock Exchange
• It is the largest online travel agency in China with a market share of around 13.7%
• The company is among the largest online travel platforms, with nearly 2.3% of the overall market
• Before the pandemic, Trip.com had stable growth in its financial performance. It experienced revenue growth of 60% from 2016 to 2018, with a 30% forested growth potential pre- Covid-19
• The global travel market size in 2019 was estimated at around $5.8 trillion, while it contracted down to $2.6 trillion in 2020 due to the coronavirus. China Travel News estimated that until 2025 the market would grow to $7.1 trillion
• There is an increase in demand for travel services with the recovery from Covid-19 and the opening of international travel
• Trip.com’s plans to augment its service offerings and technology should expand its customer base

Trip.com Stock Dividend Information

Trip.com stock dividend history presented on the NASDAQ website shows that the company has paid a total of four dividends. Under the brand name of Ctrip International Ltd, the company paid cash dividends in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with a dividend payment of $0.28, $0.235, $0.257 and $0.107, respectively.

Trip.com Group (Ctrp) doesn’t have a pre-defined dividend payment policy and strategy. Instead, the company evaluates the need and adequacy for dividend payment following the capital requirements and the future business activities and developments.

Trip.com Stock Forecast and Prediction

The travel industry took a major hit with the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently, the economic recovery means that Trip.com’s financial performance will improve, creating higher revenues and earnings. The stock could thus be labelled a potential buyer, especially as the overall travel market is anticipated to reach a value of $7 trillion in the next couple of years.

According to Mizuho Securities, Ctrip’s EBITDA had the potential to grow by more than 20% annually before the pandemic because of diminishing domestic competition and increased international presence. Which is yet another indicator that TCOM price could move upward in the upcoming period.

What’s more, NASDAQ has listed a 1-year target price of $36.5 for TCOM shares. However, CNN points out that 32 analysts providing their price forecast for TCOM anticipate a stock price between $46.25 and $28.15 per share. They forecast a median target price of $37.14. Consequently, CNN Business shows that Trip.com stock receives a buy rating based on the opinions of 36 investment analysts.

Trip.com stock analysis, using technical analysis, give mixed signals when evaluating the past fluctuations in share price. However, these indicators are based solely on aspects related to the price movement while it disregards the fundamental factors that might push the stock price up or down.

Trip.com stock shows sensitivity to changes in the Chinese stock market, induced by changes in regulations and adverse economic movements. Trip.com has also recorded a price depreciation in the past due to a trade war between the US and China and a weakening Chinese Yuan.

Where to Invest in Trip.com Stock Now?

In order to buy Trip.com shares, investors need to open an account with a regulated broker, such as ZFX. ZFX is an optimal choice, because it charges competitive fees, offers the popular MT4 platform and a wide range of trading instruments, from stocks to forex. As a client-oriented broker, ZFX also offers different types of trading accounts to cover your personal needs. You can also choose to start with a demo account and sharpen your trading skills

How Can I Buy Trip.com Stock Now?

Buying Trip.com stock on the ZFX is straightforward, and it begins with account registration.

Register with ZFX

You can start by going to the ZFX website and selecting the desired method to register an account. Available options appear in the next image. Traders can decide to practice their trading skills by opening a demo account, or they could open a live trading account.

Selecting the preferred account option will take you to a new window with a fill-in form requiring specific information.

When you provide the required information, just hit the “Next” button, and you are ready continue.

2. Make your first deposit

After completing the verification process, traders can safely and securely deposit funds to their live trading account. To do so, they need to log in to their ZFX dashboard and select the “Deposit” section. ZFX has set up different funding methods, and you can choose to deposit money via Bank transfer or Credit cards.

3. Account verification

To complete the registration process, you need to successfully verify your account. To complete the verification, you need to provide a scanned copy of one valid identity document. This can be your National ID, Passport or Driver’s license. ZFX will also ask you to verify your bank account through a copy of your bank statement or with a copy of a page from your bank book.

4. Buy Trip.com stock

You can buy Trip.com stock by firstly downloading a suitable version of the user-friendly ZFX MT4 trading platform. After you install the ZFX MT4 trading platform you can buy Trip.com stock by opening the platform.

You can enter your account details by selecting your account in the lower left corner. Next, select the Trip.com stock (Ctrp) from the market watch section in the upper left side. The graph that appears to the right gives you an option to buy the stock and enter the relevant elements for your trading position (volume, stop-loss, take profit, order type, etc.).

Bottom Line: Should I Buy Trip.com Stock Now?

Trip.com shares have the potential to be a viable investment. This is because of positive movements in multiple factors related to Trip.com and the travel market. This stock receives a buy rating from investment analysts. Moreover, they even expect double-digit annual growth in earnings in the next few years. Moreover, Trip.com stock forecast based on fundamental factors and expert analysis indicates that its share price might appreciate in the future. The anticipated post-covid recovery, combined with the expectations about a potential increase in travel sector market size, creates opportunities for Trip.com to augment its profit levels and offer higher value to investors.

Undouble Trip.com stock represents a solid investment today. However, it is highly important that traders buy the stock through a suitable broker. ZFX is a broker that offers the highest value for money to traders. It also provides the best trading experience under competitive trading conditions.