First Quarter After 25-for-1 Stock Split: Increased Performance and Share Buybacks

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) reported double-digit year-over-year growth in room demand, gross booking value, revenue, net income and adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2026. Despite headwinds from conflicts in the Middle East, underlying demand—particularly in the U.S.—proved stronger than expected. The company completed a 25-for-1 stock split on April 2 and in Q1 repurchased approximately $3.6 billion (roughly ₩5 trillion) of its own shares, alongside a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share payable on June 30. Separately, insider Vanessa Ames Whitman sold a small number of common shares under a pre-established trading plan but continues to hold a meaningful stake.

Following the split, shares began trading at the adjusted price on April 6, and the company boosted its authorized share count from 1 billion to 25 billion to enhance liquidity. Market observers have highlighted this large-scale split as one of the most notable 2026 examples in the U.S. equity market. Booking Holdings has maintained the $0.42 quarterly dividend on a per-share basis post-split.

Booking Holdings is one of the world’s largest online travel intermediaries, operating global reservation brands such as Booking.com, Priceline and Agoda, and offering end-to-end travel services across air, lodging and car rental. The online travel industry benefits from long-term growth drivers—namely post-pandemic demand recovery and digital transformation—while remaining susceptible to performance volatility due to geopolitical risks like Middle East conflicts and broader macroeconomic fluctuations.