Booking Gains 3% After Strong Q4 Earnings and Dividend Hike

  • Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) rallied more than 3% intra-day today after reporting fourth-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations, driven by robust travel demand and higher-than-expected bookings.

    For the quarter, the online travel giant posted adjusted earnings per share of $41.55, far surpassing analyst estimates of $36.13. Revenue came in at $5.47 billion, exceeding the $5.19 billion forecast.

    Booking activity remained strong, with room nights rising 13% year-over-year to 261 million, while gross bookings climbed 17% from the same period last year, reflecting continued strength in global travel trends.

    On top of the strong performance, Booking increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to $9.60 per share, signaling confidence in its future growth and commitment to returning capital to shareholders.