New York, February 16, 2026, 13:21 EST — The session has ended.
- No trading on U.S. stock markets Monday, with the Presidents Day holiday keeping exchanges closed. They’ll open again on Tuesday.
- Booking shares slipped a bit at the close as traders held off, waiting for results due out later this week.
- Traders are zeroing in on guidance, plus any clues about how travel search might be changing with AI in the mix.
After taking a pause for Presidents Day, Booking Holdings’ common stock returns to trading Tuesday. The online travel group is approaching an important earnings window. (New York Stock Exchange)
Jitters remain high for companies linked to artificial intelligence, even as the pause takes hold. Deutsche Bank’s Adrian Cox described the market as a “sniper’s alley” for AI shakeups, Barron’s noted. (Barron’s)
Booking stands right in the middle of that debate. Investors are watching to see if it can keep attracting customers without ramping up spending to do it.
Shares finished the session Friday at $4,140.60, slipping 0.46% from where they ended the day before.
Expedia dropped 6.6% in the latest session. Airbnb, on the other hand, climbed 4.6%. Travel platforms, clearly, aren’t moving together—trading remains choppy.
Booking plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results after the bell, targeting 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The conference call is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. (Booking Holdings –)
Gross bookings, the total dollar value of travel reserved on the platform, and room nights are in focus as traders look for signals on demand. Marketing spend, particularly in paid search, stands out as another key swing factor.
Macro factors might play a role as well. Reuters pointed to global business-activity surveys and the U.S. Q4 GDP print coming up Friday, Feb. 20. Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid, citing his team, sees U.S. real GDP growth sliding to 2.5% for the fourth quarter. (Reuters)
Earnings week isn’t without risk. If the outlook disappoints, travel spending looks weaker, or customer-acquisition expenses spike, the drop could worsen—especially if investors suspect AI-driven tools are siphoning off bookings from intermediaries.
Holiday reopenings often trigger volatility, and with Booking’s share price sitting in the four digits, every percent move pops on the ticker. Tuesday’s early action could reflect traders jockeying for position as much as anything tied to the fundamentals.
Wednesday’s results and call are up next, putting guidance—and whatever management says about AI-driven shifts in travel search—front and center for BKNG as the week unfolds.
