Trade Tracker: Karen Firestone sells Intuit and Booking Holdings
Speakers
Karen Firestone
— Investor
Summary
Karen Firestone, Executive Chairman of Aureus Asset Management, discusses her recent sales of Intuit and Booking Holdings. She sees AI-driven disruption in tax-return software and travel planning as a common risk, noting Intuit faces a tough slog while Booking has not yet cracked but has stalled. She frames both as less attractive holdings.
- Karen Firestone explains selling Intuit and Booking Holdings.
- Both are software-type companies, one in tax returns and one in travel.
- AI tax-return tools may reduce demand for Intuit's software.
- Intuit management commentary suggests a tough slog over the next year-plus.
- AI travel planning is a potential threat to Booking Holdings.
- Booking has not yet seen a crack in bookings and has been a strong long-term stock.
Ideas
Sold Intuit; AI threatens tax software.
Firestone sold Intuit because she believes AI tools for tax returns reduce the need to hire Intuit or use its software, and management commentary suggests the company faces a tough slog over the next year-plus.
Sold Booking on AI travel threat.
Firestone sold Booking Holdings because she sees AI increasingly used for travel planning as a threat to its travel-software/intermediary model. She acknowledges no crack in bookings yet and notes Booking has been an incredible stock up about 200% over five years, but the stock has stalled and the AI risk made the position less attractive.
Up Next
This CNBC video, published January 22, 2026, features Karen Firestone discussing INTU, BKNG. 2 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Karen Firestone · Tickers: INTU, BKNG