Wall Street's First Blockbuster Stock Split of the Year Has Arrived -- and This Industry Titan Has Soared 31,800% Over the Last 25 Years

By Sean Williams – Apr 2, 2026 at 4:06AM ESTKey PointsStock-split euphoria has played an important role in lifting the broader market to new heights. The first high-profile forward stock split of 2026 takes effect today, April 2.Well-defined competitive advantages have allowed this online travel leader to ascend to the heavens over the last quarter century. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been the stock market's hottest trend over the last few years, it's not the only one responsible for lifting the tide on Wall Street. Stock-split euphoria has also intrigued investors. A stock split allows a publicly traded company to alter its share price and outstanding share count without impacting its market cap or underlying operating performance. Companies that have conducted forward splits to reduce their share price and make their stock more nominally affordable for retail investors have a history of outperforming the benchmark S&P 500. Today, courtesy of online travel company Booking Holdings (BKNG 0.60%), we're witnessing the first blockbuster stock split of 2026 take shape. Image source: Getty Images. Wall Street's biggest stock split (thus far) of 2026 has arrived In mid-February, the parent company of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and OpenTable announced plans to complete a 25-for-1 forward split. It's the company's first-ever forward split, but its second overall following a 1-for-6 reverse split in 2003. Before trading commences today, April 2, this mammoth stock split will take effect, reducing Booking's share price to around $184 per share, based on its $4,062.14 closing price on March 27. This should make it considerably easier for retail investors to participate in Booking Holdings' growth story. Over the trailing 25-year period, shares of Booking have soared just over 31,800%, including dividends. High-octane gains like this don't occur by accident. They're a reflection of Booking's well-defined competitive advantages. Booking Holdings' most prominent advantage becomes apparent when looking beyond the borders of the United States. It's one of Europe's largest players in online travel bookings and is generating significant sales growth from its expansion in Asia. By focusing its efforts overseas, Booking has avoided being bogged down by the hypercompetitive U.S. online travel market and established a sustainable moat. ExpandNASDAQ: BKNGBooking HoldingsToday's Change(-0.60%) $-25.47Current Price$4184.85Key Data PointsMarket Cap$133BDay's Range$4058.05 - $4250.0052wk Range$3765.45 - $5839.41Volume17KAvg Vol409KGross Margin97.15%Dividend Yield0.94% This is a good time to mention that travel is a cyclical industry. Although recessions and economic slowdowns are perfectly normal, the U.S. and global economy spend far more time expanding than contracting. Put simply, it means Booking benefits from the disproportionate nature of economic cycles. One of the more exciting long-term growth catalysts for Booking Holdings is its Connected Trip strategy. Booking's leadership is leaning into generative AI as a tool to offer personalized travel recommendations and answer customer queries. The goal with gen-AI is to keep more consumers within its service ecosystem. If travelers bundle their hotel with a flight, car rental, and/or attractions, it means more revenue and juicier margins for Booking. The final piece of the puzzle is that its valuation has typically made sense for growth-seeking investors. Following its recent modest pullback, shares can be scooped up for 13 times forecast earnings per share in 2027, representing a 42% discount to its average forward price-to-earnings ratio over the last half-decade. Once this stock split goes into effect, retail investors will have an opportunity to buy into the Booking Holdings growth story at a historically low valuation.Read NextMar 31, 2026 •By Jeremy BowmanGlobal Travel Concerns Are Driving Down Bookings Holdings' Stock. Is the Travel Giant Still a Good Long-Term Buy?Mar 28, 2026 •By Danny Vena, CPAThe First Blockbuster Stock Split of 2026 Is Just Days Away.

The Stock Skyrocketed 30,490% in 25 Years and Has More Upside Ahead, According to Wall StreetMar 20, 2026 •By Matt Frankel, CFPUpcoming Stock Splits in 2026Mar 18, 2026 •By Rachel WarrenBest Travel and Tourism Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestMar 7, 2026 •By Lyle DalyThe Largest Consumer Discretionary Companies by Market Cap in March 2026Mar 3, 2026 •By Sean Williams1 Stock-Split Stock -- Up 27,500% in 25 Years -- That's a No-Brainer Buy in March and 1 to AvoidAbout the AuthorSean Williams is a data-driven Motley Fool contributing analyst who's been investing for 27 years and has penned north of 15,000 articles. You'll find him at the intersection of politics and investing tackling macroeconomic topics of interest (Social Security and Donald Trump's economic/tax policies), analyzing which stocks billionaire investors (e.g., Warren Buffett) are buying and selling, and digging into how the world's most-influential businesses and trends -- everything from the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) to the next stock split -- are changing Wall Street. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego.TMFUltraLongX@AMCScamStocks MentionedBooking HoldingsNASDAQ: BKNG$4,184.85(-0.60%)-$25.47*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.