Booking Holdings Rises 1% Amid $9.5M Texas Settlement Daily Volume Ranks 89th

On August 20, 2025, Booking Holdings (BKNG) closed with a 1.00% gain, trading at a daily volume of $0.99 billion, ranking 89th in market activity. The stock’s performance followed a significant legal development involving its parent company.

Booking agreed to a $9.5 million settlement with Texas over allegations of misleading consumers by concealing mandatory "junk fees" in hotel listings. The Texas Attorney General accused the company of "drip pricing," where fees such as resort, amenity, and utility charges were buried in checkout totals, creating an unfair competitive edge. The settlement mandates upfront fee disclosure, aligning with broader regulatory efforts to combat deceptive pricing practices in the travel sector. Booking denied wrongdoing but stated its commitment to transparency and compliance with recent Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

This case marks the largest U.S. state-level settlement targeting junk fees in the online travel industry, following similar agreements with hotel chains like Choice, Hilton, and Marriott in 2023. The outcome could influence Booking’s operational strategies, particularly in how it structures pricing and discloses costs to maintain consumer trust amid heightened regulatory scrutiny.

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