New York, Feb 17, 2026, 18:12 EST — Trading after hours
- Expedia dropped roughly 6% after the bell Tuesday, lagging other names in online travel.
- Investors continue to sift through management’s more cautious full-year 2026 margin expansion forecast.
- Traders are eyeing Wednesday’s session, watching for any hint that the post-results drop might be leveling out.
Expedia Group shares dropped 5.8% to $200.42 in Tuesday’s after-hours session, after sinking to $198.55 at the day’s low. The stock shed $12.34 from its previous close, ranking it among the laggards in big-cap travel as the week hit its midpoint.
This shift is catching attention as investors focus more on profitability than pure booking numbers for online travel names. Expedia’s shares have tumbled harder than several rivals, despite the sector’s overall volatility rather than a clear trend.
Expedia last week said it sees adjusted EBITDA margin growing by 3 to 4 percentage points in the first quarter, but just 1 to 1.25 points for the entire year. Adjusted EBITDA, which leaves out interest, taxes, and depreciation, is meant to clarify core results. The same update put Expedia’s 2026 gross bookings in a $127 billion to $129 billion range, with revenue expected between $15.6 billion and $16.0 billion. Expedia also disclosed it bought back roughly 9 million shares for $1.7 billion in 2025.
Still, the sluggish full-year margin outlook continues to dog Expedia. The company described its stance as “appropriately cautious due to ongoing macro uncertainty” and choppy consumer behavior. Finance chief Scott Schenkel flagged the possibility of a “relatively muted” performance for the rest of the year. CEO Ariane Gorin, speaking to Reuters, highlighted robust demand for discounts: Black Friday saw partner participation jump 70% over last year, and nearly 30% of Q4 bookings came from inventory featuring special deals. Reuters
DA Davidson lowered its Expedia price target to $260 from $294, sticking with a Neutral call. The firm highlighted concerns that Expedia’s 2026 margin guidance might miss what certain investors have been expecting. Analyst notes on the stock continued rolling in.
Tuesday saw a mixed bag among online travel stocks. Booking Holdings barely budged, but shares of Airbnb and TripAdvisor climbed.
Heading into Wednesday, traders are watching to see if the $200 level throws up any resistance to the selling, or if forecasts get cut further. Expedia’s next key date: March 5, the record date for its $0.48 quarterly payout, which hits on March 26.
