Airbnb Jumps on Fastest Growth in Three Years, Adds Buyback

Airbnb shares climbed sharply on Friday after the home-rental platform posted its fastest quarterly revenue growth in more than three years, raised its full-year outlook and authorised a new share buyback of up to US$12 billion, XTB reported.

Revenue for the third quarter rose 19% from a year earlier to US$4.87 billion, according to Finimize, which said the figure beat the US$4.75 billion analysts had expected, citing LSEG data. The stock jumped 11% in after-hours trading on Thursday, Finimize said, citing Reuters. XTB put the gain at 12%, while TheStreet reported a pre-market rise of nearly 14% on Friday.

Bookings and profit rise

Nights and experiences booked increased 16% to 155 million, both outlets reported. XTB said booking growth picked up from 10% in the previous quarter, and that North America posted its quickest growth in nights booked in four years.

Gross booking value rose 21% to US$27.7 billion, XTB said. It reported net income of US$1.9 billion and adjusted EBITDA of US$2.51 billion, up 22%, with the adjusted EBITDA margin widening to 52% from 50% a year earlier. Finimize said diluted earnings per share reached US$3.16, compared with US$2.21 a year before.

First-time bookers grew 13%, the fastest pace since early 2022, according to XTB. The company also reported that customer support costs per booking fell by more than 17%, with about 40% of support issues now resolved without a human agent, both outlets said.

Outlook raised

Airbnb lifted its full-year 2026 revenue growth forecast to the “high teens”, according to both Finimize and XTB. XTB said the company is targeting an adjusted EBITDA margin of about 36% for the year.

For the fourth quarter, Airbnb guided revenue of US$3.22 billion to US$3.28 billion, a rise of 16% to 18%, XTB reported. It expects gross booking value growth in the mid-teens and said the adjusted EBITDA margin may dip slightly from a year earlier, partly due to the timing of marketing spending.

Finimize reported that Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz played down any near-term impact from unrest in France or conflict in the Middle East, with management saying demand held up across regions.

What’s next

Airbnb plans to launch an AI assistant to help travellers plan and book trips in the first half of 2027, according to both outlets. XTB noted that the buyback will be carried out over time and is not guaranteed, and said investors will watch whether booking growth holds up beyond the summer travel season.

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