Airbnb reported better-than-expected second-quarter results on Thursday, driven by a surge in first-time users during the FIFA World Cup and strong global travel demand. Shares of the vacation rental and experiences platform surged nearly 16% in Friday trading, reaching $175.90 and breaking above the previous 52-week high of $156.50 set in late July, marking the highest level in more than four years.
Second-quarter revenue rose 17% year over year to $3.61 billion, surpassing Wall Street estimates of $3.57 billion. Net income reached $816 million, while adjusted EBITDA grew 21% to $1.3 billion, yielding a 35% margin. Diluted earnings per share came in at $1.37, well above the consensus of $1.26, ending a streak of three consecutive quarterly EPS misses.
Nights and experiences booked increased 10% to 148.3 million, with gross booking value up 16% to $27.2 billion. North America recorded its fastest booking growth in nearly three years, and first-time booker growth hit an 11% rate—the strongest in four years. The platform also saw a 23% increase in nights booked through its mobile app, which now accounts for 64% of total bookings. Management noted that the recovery in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa helped offset earlier disruptions from the Middle East conflict, which had been expected to reduce booking growth by about 100 basis points.
Airbnb raised its full-year guidance for the second time, now expecting at least mid-teens revenue growth for 2026, up from the prior low-to-mid-teens outlook. The adjusted EBITDA margin forecast was lifted to at least 35.5%. Third-quarter revenue is projected between $4.69 billion and $4.77 billion. CEO Brian Chesky emphasized the company’s transformation into a broader travel marketplace, noting that hotel nights booked grew three times faster than home bookings, and that AI-driven customer-support improvements reduced costs per booking by about 16%. He also highlighted potential M&A opportunities to accelerate growth.
