Globenewswire·2026-03-17 22:40Core Viewpoint - A securities class action lawsuit has been filed against Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency, following a significant decline in its stock price due to regulatory investigations [1][2]. Group 1: Lawsuit and Market Reaction - The lawsuit seeks to represent investors who purchased Trip.com securities between April 30, 2024, and January 13, 2026, after a 17% drop in share price on January 14, 2026, which resulted in a loss of over $8 billion in market capitalization [1][2][7]. - The decline was triggered by the announcement of an investigation by Chinese regulators under the Anti-Monopoly Law, raising concerns about the company's business practices [2][7]. Group 2: Allegations and Investigations - The complaint alleges that Trip.com misled investors regarding the regulatory risks associated with its monopolistic practices, particularly concerning its AI price adjustment tool [5][9]. - Reports indicated that hotel partners experienced a loss of pricing autonomy, leading to scrutiny from regulators who identified potential coercive practices by Trip.com [6][9]. Group 3: Company Developments - Following the class period, Trip.com announced the abrupt resignation of its co-founders from the board, which raised further questions about the company's governance [8]. - The company also decided to shut down its automated AI price adjustment tool, which had been criticized for forcing price reductions on hotel partners, in an effort to restore pricing autonomy [9].