Booking Holdings Inc. saw its shares touch a 52-week low during Friday's trading session, closing at $4,140.60, a decline of 0.5%. The stock reached an intraday low of $4,071.60, marking its weakest level in the past year. This movement comes just ahead of the company's scheduled release of its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results, set for after the market close on Tuesday, February 18. A conference call with management is slated for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time that same day.
Market Context and Peer Performance
The online travel sector exhibited divergent performance on Friday. While Booking struggled, its competitor Expedia Group experienced a more pronounced sell-off, dropping 6.6%. In contrast, Airbnb shares gained 4.6%. This split highlights the varied investor sentiment across the travel platform landscape as the industry navigates evolving demand dynamics and competitive pressures.
U.S. equity markets will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Washington's Birthday. This holiday creates a shortened trading week leading into Booking's earnings report, with Tuesday representing the next opportunity for investors to adjust their positions ahead of the announcement. On Friday, Booking stock opened at $4,154.00 and traded within a range of $4,071.60 to $4,192.00, with volume reaching 619,139 shares.
Recent Pressure and Earnings Focus
The descent to a new annual low follows a sharp 3.56% decline on Thursday, which brought shares to $4,159.10. That drop underperformed a broader market sell-off and ended a brief two-day rally. The upcoming earnings report is highly anticipated as a key indicator of consumer travel demand in early 2026 and the financial health of major online travel agencies.
Investor attention will be squarely on management's forward-looking commentary. Key areas of focus include the company's outlook for the coming quarters, any indications of softening travel trends into the spring season, and the potential for increased marketing and customer acquisition costs. Online travel agencies are heavily reliant on paid search and app-based marketing to drive bookings, and shifts in this spending can rapidly impact profit margins.
Recent reports from peers have provided a mixed backdrop. Expedia, which reported on Thursday, projected 2026 revenue growth between 6% and 9%. Meanwhile, Airbnb announced a 12% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter revenue and a 16% jump in gross booking value. Airbnb's leadership expressed optimism that this momentum is building and expects growth to accelerate in 2026.
According to analyst consensus data cited by Nasdaq.com, Booking is expected to report earnings per share of $47.58 on revenue of $6.11 billion for the quarter. Notably, the consensus EPS estimate has been revised downward over the preceding 30 days. The setup presents a two-sided risk: even a solid quarterly performance could disappoint the market if accompanied by cautious guidance, concerns over rising costs, or commentary on intensifying competition and unfavorable currency movements.
The primary catalyst for the stock will arrive on Wednesday, following the earnings release. Trading will resume on Tuesday after the long weekend, with the company's financial details and subsequent conference call likely to set the near-term direction for the stock as investors assess the company's competitive positioning and profitability trajectory in the evolving travel market.
