Booking Holdings reached the record date for its 25-for-1 stock split on March 6, 2026. Shareholders of record will receive 24 additional shares for every share currently held. The company will distribute these new shares after the market close on April 2, 2026. Split-adjusted trading is scheduled to begin on April 6, 2026.
March 6 also served as the ex-dividend date for a $10.50 per share quarterly cash dividend. Booking shares surged more than 8% on March 5 ahead of these key dates. Investor enthusiasm for the split and dividend drove the upward momentum.
Market sentiment improved as concerns regarding AI disruption in the online travel sector eased. Reports indicated that OpenAI is scaling back its direct checkout capabilities. Bullish analyst commentary further supported the stock's gains.