Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB), based in San Francisco, California, is one of the world's largest travel marketplaces. Its website and mobile app connect hosts with guests seeking to book accommodations, experiences, and services. The company has also broadened its offerings to include curated activities and gift cards.
Currently, Airbnb carries a market cap of roughly $90.8 billion. However, that size has not translated into market-beating returns. The stock has gained 14.5% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) did considerably better with a return of 22.2% during the same period. Even in 2026, ABNB stock is up 10.5%, trailing behind the benchmark’s 13% year-to-date (YTD) gain.
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Airbnb stacks up much better against companies in its own corner of the market. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) has risen 8.2% over the past year. The sector has also slipped marginally since the beginning of this year, leaving Airbnb ahead of the broader consumer discretionary group.
www.barchart.com Airbnb’s gains did not come out of left field. The company has continued to grow its bookings and revenue without relying on heavy discounting. The latest quarterly results backed up that optimism. Q1 FY2026 revenue climbed 17.9% year over year (YOY) to $2.7 billion.
Nights and seats booked increased 9% to 156.2 million, and adjusted EBITDA reached $519 million. EPS missed Wall Street's estimates, but that setback did little to overshadow the broader performance. The quarter showed Airbnb still expanding its platform at a healthy pace as it also raised its full-year revenue guidance to low-to-mid-teens growth after previously forecasting 12%.
On the other hand, analysts expect Airbnb to report diluted EPS of $4.93 for full-year FY2026, which ends in December. The projection calls for YOY growth of 22.3%. Even with that outlook, the company has missed Wall Street's EPS estimates in three of the past four quarters, which continues to leave a small question mark over its earnings consistency.
That has done little to shake Wall Street's overall view. Airbnb is carrying an overall rating of "Moderate Buy." Among 41 analysts covering the stock, 18 have assigned a "Strong Buy," three recommend a "Moderate Buy," another 18 advise investors to "Hold,” one analyst maintains a "Moderate Sell" rating, while one has issued a "Strong Sell" rating.
www.barchart.com Analysts showed little inclination to change their view on Airbnb’s shares. Two months ago, 18 analysts also rated the stock a "Strong Buy," underscoring their confidence in the company's growth.
The steady sentiment extends to recent analyst calls. On Thursday, July 30, UBS analyst Stephen Ju maintained a “Hold” rating on ABNB stock and raised the price target to $163 from $157. UBS believes Airbnb's continued product innovation and long-term growth prospects could create additional upside. The firm, however, still views the balance between risk and reward as fairly even, which is why it stuck with a neutral stance.
To that end, the average price target of $159.13 implies potential upside of 6.1%, while the Street-High target of $185 suggests the stock could climb 23.4% from its current level.
On the date of publication, Aanchal Sugandh did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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