Trip.com Under Anti-Monopoly Investigation, Controls Over 60% of China's Online Travel Market
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 16 2026
0mins
Should l Buy TCOM?
Source: Benzinga
- Investigation Launched: China's State Administration for Market Regulation has initiated an anti-monopoly investigation into Trip.com, focusing on its hotel booking operations, which accounted for 44% of its revenue in Q3, potentially forcing the company to end exclusivity agreements and divest rival investments.
- Market Share Concentration: Trip.com controls over 60% of China's online travel market through a series of acquisitions and investments, maintaining a strong market position despite challenges from Meituan and Alibaba.
- Stock Price Plunge: Following the announcement of the investigation, Trip.com's stock fell 22% over four trading days, wiping out approximately $9 billion in market value, although its share price remains up 54 times since its IPO, indicating investor anxiety about the future.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: The market regulator is expected to impose fines exceeding $1 billion on Trip.com, but the greater concern lies in potential divestitures of key investments, particularly in Tongcheng and Qunar, which could significantly impact its market dominance.
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Analyst Views on TCOM
Wall Street analysts forecast TCOM stock price to rise
7 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 52.620
Low
82.00
Averages
85.00
High
90.00
Current: 52.620
Low
82.00
Averages
85.00
High
90.00
About TCOM
Trip.com Group Limited is a global travel service provider comprising Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar. Its one-stop travel platform connects its users and its ecosystem partners. It offers accommodation reservations, transportation ticketing, packaged tours, and corporate travel management services and other travel-related services to meet the various booking and traveling needs of both leisure and business travelers through its travel platform. It helps travelers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources and an advanced transaction platform, including apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centers. Ctrip provides travel and related services in China. Qunar is an online travel agency in China. Trip.com is an online travel agency for global travelers. Skyscanner is a travel search company.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Securities Claims Investigation: The Rosen Law Firm is investigating potential securities claims against Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) for allegedly issuing materially misleading business information, indicating significant legal risks that could undermine shareholder confidence.
- Antitrust Investigation Impact: On January 14, 2026, Trip.com shares fell 17% following news of an antitrust probe by Chinese regulators, which not only resulted in investor losses but also raised broader market concerns about regulatory scrutiny in the sector.
- Class Action Preparation: The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action to seek recovery for investor losses, allowing affected shareholders to participate without upfront costs through a contingency fee arrangement, thus providing a viable legal recourse for impacted investors.
- Firm's Track Record: The Rosen Law Firm is recognized for its success in securities class actions, having recovered over $438 million for investors in 2019 alone, showcasing its expertise and resource capabilities in handling similar cases effectively.
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- Securities Claims Investigation: Rosen Law Firm is investigating potential securities claims against Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) for allegedly issuing misleading business information, emphasizing the firm's commitment to protecting investor rights.
- Antitrust Investigation Impact: On January 14, 2026, Trip.com shares fell 17% after the Chinese market regulator launched an antitrust probe, indicating significant legal risks that could adversely affect the company's market performance.
- Class Action Preparation: The firm is preparing a class action lawsuit, allowing investors to seek compensation without any out-of-pocket costs, which is an attractive proposition for potential claimants facing losses.
- Firm's Reputation: Rosen Law Firm is renowned for its success in securities class actions, having recovered over $438 million for investors in 2019 alone, showcasing its expertise and influence in handling similar cases.
See More
- Market Reaction: Despite Nvidia's blockbuster earnings, tech stocks faced heavy selling, dragging the broader semiconductor sector down and erasing approximately $400 billion in market capitalization, indicating investor concerns about market outlook.
- Major Indices Performance: By midday in New York, the S&P 500 was down 0.9%, the Nasdaq 100 fell 1.6%, the Dow Jones slipped 0.3%, and the Russell 2000 lost 0.5%, reflecting a general weakness across the market.
- Volatility Index Surge: The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rallied over 10%, on track for its best session in two weeks, signaling heightened fear among investors and growing uncertainty about future market conditions.
- Commodity Market Dynamics: Gold prices rose 0.3% to $5,180 per ounce, while silver fell 2.8% to $86 an ounce, and crude oil increased by 1.3% to $66.5 per barrel, illustrating the volatility in commodity markets influenced by stock market trends.
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- Revenue Growth: Trip.com Group reported net revenue of RMB 15.4 billion (US$2.2 billion) for Q4 2025, a 21% year-over-year increase, indicating strong travel demand despite a 16% quarter-over-quarter decline primarily due to seasonality.
- Accommodation Booking Performance: Q4 accommodation reservation revenue reached RMB 6.3 billion (US$899 million), up 21% year-over-year, accounting for 42% of total revenue, reflecting the company's sustained growth potential in the accommodation market.
- Corporate Travel Revenue: Corporate travel revenue for Q4 2025 was RMB 808 million (US$116 million), a 15% increase year-over-year, demonstrating enhanced market demand among corporate clients, which is expected to further drive long-term growth.
- Board Changes: Trip.com announced changes to its board, with co-founders Min Fan and Qi Ji resigning, while appointing May Yihong Wu and Iris Yang Xiao as new independent directors, aiming to introduce diverse expertise to support the company's future strategy.
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- Strong Earnings Report: Trip.com reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.71, beating expectations by $0.03, indicating the company's robust profitability despite facing regulatory pressures.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $2.21 billion, a 26% year-over-year increase, surpassing market expectations by $60 million, reflecting a strong recovery in travel demand, particularly in the luxury segment.
- Antitrust Investigation Impact: Despite the strong earnings, the launch of an antitrust investigation by Chinese regulators has raised market concerns, leading to a decline in stock price, prompting investors to monitor the potential implications of regulatory developments on the company's operations.
- Record High Luxury Hotel Prices: Ultra-luxury hotel prices have reached record highs, driven by strong spending from wealthy travelers, providing Trip.com with an opportunity to expand its market share in the high-end segment and enhance overall profitability.
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- Securities Claims Investigation: Rosen Law Firm is investigating potential securities claims against Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) for allegedly issuing materially misleading business information, emphasizing the firm's commitment to protecting investor rights.
- Stock Price Impact: On January 14, 2026, Trip.com shares fell 17% following news of an antitrust investigation by China's market regulator, indicating significant market concerns regarding the company's compliance and potentially eroding investor confidence.
- Class Action Preparation: The firm is preparing a class action lawsuit, allowing investors to seek compensation without upfront costs, which reduces financial risk for affected shareholders and encourages broader participation in the claims process.
- Firm's Track Record: Rosen Law Firm has recovered over $438 million for investors in 2019 alone and was ranked first in 2017 for securities class action settlements, showcasing its extensive experience and success in handling similar cases.
See More







