Booking Holdings Gross Bookings Rise 10% to $54.5 Billion in Third Quarter
Key Facts
Booking Holdings reported third-quarter 2026 results on November 3, with gross bookings of $54.5 billion, up 10% year over year. Room nights booked rose 7% to 345 million, indicating continued activity growth during the quarter. By contrast, reported revenue was $8.893 billion, down 1% from the third quarter of 2025. The company said the figure was affected by an item related to a matter with the Federal Trade Commission. The results show a divergence between growth in bookings and room nights, on one hand, and reported revenue, on the other.
The company said in its results statement that it reduced revenue by $900 million in connection with the matter with the Federal Trade Commission, and recorded an accrued loss of $100 million. It said these items were excluded from adjusted metrics where applicable. On an adjusted basis, revenue rose 9% to $9.8 billion compared with the same period a year earlier. Adjusted net income increased 8% to $3.5 billion, while adjusted earnings per share rose 17% to $4.66. The differing direction of reported and adjusted revenue reflects the impact of the recorded item on the quarter’s results.
Chief Executive Glenn Fogel attributed the performance to resilient travel demand and disciplined execution by the company’s teams. He said, "Resilient travel demand and disciplined execution by our teams drove double-digit growth in gross bookings." The assessment came alongside a 10% rise in gross bookings and a 7% increase in room nights booked during the quarter. But the company said global travel demand slowed somewhat toward the end of the third quarter. It said international trends were weaker, while domestic travel remained resilient.
The company linked the moderation in demand at the end of the quarter to weaker international travel trends and said domestic travel held firm. It also cited Middle East-related disruptions and higher airfares in October. The company added that geopolitical and economic uncertainty could affect travel trends in the near term. These factors put the next quarter’s outlook in the context of a subsequent slowdown from third-quarter performance, which saw growth in bookings and room nights. The company did not specify the separate impact of each factor on its results in the statement.
Booking Holdings forecast room-night growth of between 1% and 3% for the fourth quarter of 2026, compared with the 7% increase recorded in the third quarter. It also forecast gross-bookings growth of between 2% and 4%, versus growth of 10% in the previous quarter. Adjusted revenue growth was estimated at between 0% and 2%, after rising 9% in the third quarter to $9.8 billion. The estimates point to slower growth across all three metrics compared with the quarter just ended. The company also said its board approved a cash dividend of $0.42 per share, payable on December 31 to shareholders of record on December 11, 2026.
The company had said it would release third-quarter results at about 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3 and planned to hold a call to discuss the results at 4:30 p.m. the same day. EL7 data showed the company’s stock closed at $153.75 on November 2, the session before the results announcement. That closing price was recorded before the announced results release and therefore predates the figures and guidance in the company’s statement. The announced dividend follows, with December 11 set as the shareholder record date and December 31 as the payment date. The growth outlook in the statement applies to the fourth quarter of 2026.