Priceline customers and BKNG shareholders are the ones paying for this FTC fight, and Booking just put a number on it: a $900 million…

Priceline customers and BKNG shareholders are the ones paying for this FTC fight, and Booking just put a number on it: a $900 million revenue reduction in Q3, plus a separate $100 million accrued loss.

• Per Reuters, the matter ties to the FTC's inquiry involving Priceline and Guest Reservations. The FTC had been considering legal action, and Booking said it was in talks to resolve it. That makes this an unresolved dispute, with no final ruling yet.
• Q3 revenue came in at $8.89 billion, down about 1% year over year. Adjusted EPS was $4.66 versus $3.98 a year ago, which is exactly why I check the reported line before the adjusted one.
• $BKNG closed at $155.67 on November 3, up 1.25%, then traded at $153.15 after hours, down 1.62% from the close.
• I'm generally in favor of regulators probing consumer-facing practices, and this shows those probes can land directly on the income statement.

My read: the after-hours dip looks modest for a business this size, and I'd treat it as a possible spot for cash-secured puts if this proves to be a one-quarter event. Whether the FTC-related reduction shows up again next quarter is what decides that for me, and I could be wrong on how fast it settles.

Source:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/booking-holdings-takes-900-million-hit-quarterly-revenue-linked-ftc-action-2026-11-03/

Not financial advice. For informational and educational purposes only.