Shares of online travel agency Booking Holdings fell 4.8% in the afternoon session after the European General Court upheld an EU antitrust decision blocking its planned 1.63 billion euro acquisition of ETraveli Group. The ruling dealt a blow to Booking's growth strategy, disrupting a key part of the company's expansion plans, and by affirming the antitrust veto the court prevents completion of the 1.63 billion euro transaction, leaving the travel company unable to integrate ETraveli Group. The outcome highlighted substantial regulatory hurdles for large acquisitions, prompting investors to sell shares as the blocked deal limits expected strategic expansion. After the initial drop, the shares shed some of the losses and rose to $172.99, down 4.1% from the previous close. Booking is down 18.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $172.99 per share it is trading 22.4% below its 52-week high of $223.03 from September 2025.
Booking Holdings IncEU General Court upheld the antitrust veto blocking Booking's 1.63 billion euro acquisition of ETraveli, disrupting its growth strategy.
The court ruling prevents completion of the 1.63 billion euro deal, leaving ETraveli unable to be acquired by Booking.
