Booking Holdings (BKNG) is Positioned to Benefit From Long-Term Travel Growth
Polaris Capital Management , an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for "Global Equity Strategy". The letter can be downloaded here . Global markets delivered strong gains during the quarter, supported by an AI-driven earnings rally despite elevated interest rates, inflation concerns, and geopolitical uncertainty. Polaris Global Equity Composite (net of fees) returned 13.26% during the quarter, compared to a 13.90% return for the MSCI World Index, gross dividends reinvested. The Composite remained ahead for the year-to-date period through June 30, 2026, gaining 19.95% versus 9.94% for the benchmark, driven by strong performance from IT holdings, particularly AI-related companies and memory semiconductor suppliers. Please review the Fund's top five holdings to gain insights into its key selections for 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Polaris Global Equity Strategy highlighted Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG ) as a newly added position. Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is a leading online travel booking platform. On September 22, 2026, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) closed at $164.22 per share. Over the past month, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) declined 21.38%, and its shares lost 25.70% over the past 52 weeks. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) has a market capitalization of $123.39 billion, and its stock has traded within a 52-week range of $150.14 and $225.00.
Polaris Global Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
" Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), a leading online travel platform, was added during the quarter. Middle East conflict headlines and an AI-related selloff dragged the stock down; this overreaction created an opportunistic entry point into a business we believe to be well positioned for long-term global travel growth."
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds . As per our database, 92 hedge fund portfolios held Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) at the end of the second quarter which was 95 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock .
In another article , we covered Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) and shared how the company's growth strategy faces an EU regulatory roadblock. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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