Airbnb delivers upbeat guidance as Q4 results beat estimates on strong demand
Investing.com -- Airbnb reported Tuesday fourth-quarter results that beat estimates on both the top and bottom lines, and guidance that topped estimates as healthy demand for travel underpinned bookings.
Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) shares are up more than 9% in pre-open Wednesday trading.
The company reported EPS of 48 cents on revenue of $1.90 billion, compared with Wall Street estimates for EPS of 25 cents on revenue of $1.86B.
The beat was driven by strength in it bookings for nights and experiences, which was up 20% in Q4 compared to the same period last year, supporting a 20% jump in gross booking value to $13.5B.
"Guest demand remained strong throughout 2022. All regions saw significant growth in 2022 as guests increasingly crossed borders and returned to cities on Airbnb," the company said, adding that 2022 was its "first profitable full year on a GAAP basis."
Looking ahead to Q1, the company touted more growth ahead, driven by European guests booking their summer travel earlier this year, market share gains in Latin America, and the continued recovery within Asia Pacific.
Q1 revenue was guided in a range of $1.75B to $1.82B, compared with Wall Street estimates for $1.68B.
Nights and experience booked year-on-year growth is expected to be "nearly as strong" as Q4 2022, the company added.
Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler noted solid outlook that suggests travel demand remains strong.
"We remain positive on ABNB fundamentals given: 1) a large nights and experiences TAM that is increasingly shifting to alternative accommodations; 2) a leadership position and strong brand driving significant organic traffic; 3) ~15% long-term revenue growth; 4) 35% plus long-term EBITDA margins. While we have a positive fundamental outlook, we believe shares are fairly valued at current levels (~10x 2023E EV/Gross Profit) and hence maintain our Market Perform rating."
Mizuho analyst James Lee hiked the price target to $125 per share from the prior $110.
"We maintain Neutral rating, but raise PT to $125 from $110, with target multiple at 15x, consistent with gig economy peers. While the operating leverage remains impressive, we could be more constructive if FY23 estimates are adjusted to reflect uncertainties in consumer spending."
By Yasin Ebrahim and Senad Karaahmetovic