Airbnb stock tumbled while Expedia jumped following dueling third quarter earnings reports late Thursday from the online travel companies. Both firms reported mixed results overall, but Expedia raised its outlook and pledged to invest in stronger marketing for Vrbo home-booking site.
Expedia on Thursday reported a 13% increase in earnings to $6.13 per share on sales of $4.1 billion, up 3%. Earnings came in stronger than expected for the Hotels.com, Vrbo and Expedia.com parent company, while sales came in lower than expected. Airbnb, meanwhile, missed on earnings but posted better-than-expected revenue.
On the stock market today, Expedia stock rallied more than 8% 189.01. Airbnb, meanwhile, is fell more than 9% to 133.29.
Potentially helping Expedia stock, the company raised its gross bookings growth outlook for the year by a percentage point, to 5%. The company lowered guidance with its Q2 report in August. Expedia also gave positive commentary on its Vrbo home-booking site and said it would "lean into" marketing the product.
"The Vrbo acceleration story is game on, with it returning to growth for the first time in over a year," RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson wrote to clients following the report. "Hurricane Milton impact aside, we'd expect this momentum to continue for at least the new few quarters."
Expedia Stock Takes Flight
The stock jump for Expedia has powered shares above a profit-taking zone from a 142.42 cup-with-handle buy point, according to MarketSurge. Expedia stock broke out above the buy point in late September. The Q3 results broke with a run of lowering sales guidance.
"Expedia raised its fiscal year bookings outlook after three consecutive guide-downs and delivered the highest 3Q nights growth in online travel, which could suggest recent product/marketing initiatives to accelerate growth are working," Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni wrote Thursday. He reiterated a neutral hold rating for the stock, however.
Expedia stock has gained more than 20% on the year, including Friday's jump. Shares got a boost in October on media reports that Uber had considered acquiring Expedia. While Expedia management did not address those reports on its earnings call Thursday, Uber's leadership said last week that the company is focused on "organic growth" and smaller deals.
RBC's Erickson, who rates Expedia at market perform, said he was encouraged by Expedia's note that it added 1 million new units to Vrbo that were previously only available on Expedia.
The new vacation units "skew toward urban areas with shorter stays," Erickson wrote.
That is, he added, "part of the market where, historically, Airbnb had much stronger exposure and we've not heard Expedia previously express an ability or desire to focus on that subsection of supply."
Airbnb Stock Slumps
Airbnb, meanwhile, broke back below its short-term 21-day and long-term 200-day moving averages with Friday's gap downward. That fall is despite Airbnb giving positive overall commentary for its fourth quarter expectations. BofA Securities analyst Justin Post noted that Airbnb plans to invest in product expansion and marketing, which is likely to affect margins in the first half of 2025.
"The quarter was better than expected as of July, and nights growth at 8% was in line with Booking (Holdings)," Post wrote to clients Friday. "While Airbnb is expanding its geographic reach, and has a number of new growth initiatives to help to capitalize on its large bookings ecosystem, core nights growth is in line with peers and the margin growth seems less likely in 2025."
On a call with analysts, Chief Executive Brian Chesky said the company's story is entering a new chapter. After a first chapter of rapid growth following its founding after the financial crisis, he considers the company's second chapter to be its deep struggles and recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic. The third chapter involves expansion.
"For the last 17 years, for the most part, (Airbnb has) only sold one thing, which is basically vacation rentals, Airbnb homes by the night," Chesky said. "I think that we have a huge opportunity to span beyond our core business of accommodations."
Still, investors appeared uneasy.
"Airbnb shares are trading down about 4% after-hours despite a good quarter," William Blair analyst Ralph Schackart wrote in a client note, "perhaps due to the reinvestments in 2025 (to expand growth) that could potentially slightly pressure margins, in our view."
Schackart reiterated an outperform rating, however, calling Airbnb "the leading platform for short-term rentals and home-sharing through the long term.:
Airbnb Stock Vs. Expedia Stock
Meanwhile, Expedia stock ranks fifth among the 20 stocks tracked by IBD in its Leisure-Travel Booking Group. Expedia stock has an IBD Composite Rating of 94 out of a best-possible 99, according to IBD Stock Checkup. Airbnb is ranked seventh, with a Composite Rating of 74 out of 99.
Rival travel online travel agency Booking Holdingsranks third with a 96 Composite Rating. The top-ranked stock in the group is India-focused online travel company MakeMyTrip.
