Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, speaks during an interview with CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, May 10, 2023.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Airbnb shares slipped about 3% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company reported stronger-than-expected revenue, buoyed by currency tailwinds, but provided weaker-than-expected guidance for the upcoming fiscal quarter.
Here’s how the company did:
- Earnings: $6.63 per share. That may not be comparable to the $2.10 expected by analysts, according to LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv
- Revenue: $3.40 billion, vs. $3.37 billion expected
Net income for the quarter, including a one-time income tax benefit, was $4.37 billion. Excluding that one-time benefit, the company reported quarterly net income of $1.61 billion, compared with $1.21 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Revenue grew 18% year over year, the company said. Total nights and experiences bookings came in at 113.2 million for the quarter, more than the 99.7 million it reported in the year-ago quarter and beating a StreetAccount consensus estimate of 112.9 million.
The company guided to $2.13 billion to $2.17 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, representing year-over-year growth ranging from 12% to 14%. That was less than the $2.18 billion that analysts polled by LSEG had been expecting.
“We are seeing greater volatility early in Q4, and are closely monitoring macroeconomic trends and geopolitical conflicts that may impact travel demand,” the company said in its letter to shareholders. On a conference call with analysts, executives said that assessment wasn’t prompted by softness in a specific region. but rather by “broad-based” unpredictability across the board. “It’s just a little too early to tell how much volatility we see” going into the fourth quarter, CFO Dave Stephenson told analysts.
CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky added that despite a highly publicized rebuke by New York City, Airbnb maintains positive relationships with cities around the world. “For every headline you read, there’s cities that have very workable solutions,” Chesky said.
Airbnb also reported adjusted EBITDA of $1.83 billion, growing 26% year over year, and free cash flow of $1.31 billion, or 37% more than the $958 million it reported in the year-ago period.
The company also provided updates on its efforts to lower the cost of Airbnb stays for consumers. “While prices are increasing industry-wide, the average nightly price of a one-bedroom listing on Airbnb in September was $120, only 1% higher than it was in the prior year period,” the company said in its letter to shareholders.
The company also said it would be taking steps to enhance listing verifications later in the year in the U.S. and four other countries.
