Booking Holdings Stock Jumps After Earnings Beat For Online Travel Leader

Core Insights - Booking Holdings reported strong third-quarter results, with adjusted earnings of $99.50 per share, a 19% increase year-over-year, surpassing analyst expectations of $95.85 per share [2] - The company's sales rose 13% year-over-year to $9.01 billion, exceeding the forecast of $8.73 billion [2] - Total bookings value grew 14% year-over-year to $49.7 billion, also above the projected $48 billion [3] Financial Performance - Booking Holdings' revenue growth for the fourth quarter is projected between 10% and 12%, with a midpoint below the 11.8% sales growth forecasted by analysts [4] - The company's bookings growth guidance of approximately 12% is ahead of the previously forecasted 11.7% [4] - The gross bookings were 3.6% above expectations, driven by an 8% growth in room nights, which exceeded the 6% growth anticipated by analysts [5] Market Position - Booking Holdings is the largest global online travel agency, competing with firms like Expedia Group and Airbnb [3] - Despite the positive quarterly results, Booking stock has underperformed the S&P 500, with a year-to-date increase of 4.5% compared to the S&P 500's 17% gain [6] - Concerns about U.S. travel demand and competition from AI-driven travel booking solutions are impacting investor sentiment [6]