Expedia Group EXPE is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 3.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXPE’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.18 billion, indicating a 10.52% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $5.45 per share, revised upward by 4% over the past 30 days. The figure indicates a 28.54% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
Expedia Group’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 13.92%.
Expedia Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Expedia Group, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Expedia Group, Inc. Quote
Factors Likely to Shape EXPE’s Q2 Results
Expedia Group’s second-quarter 2026 print arrives against a backdrop of strong first-quarter momentum that set an ambitious bar. In the first quarter, the company delivered its highest first-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin in 15 years, with gross bookings, revenues and profitability all expanding meaningfully year over year. Management guided second-quarter gross bookings to grow 7-9% year over year, with revenues expected to rise 9-11% and adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 50-100 basis points, aided partly by favorable currency movement.
In the first-quarter earnings call, leadership signaled that the B2B segment, powered by the Rapid API network, would likely keep outpacing B2C growth in the second quarter, a trend reinforced in June when Expedia expanded its Rapid API ecosystem to help partners unlock multi-element bookings spanning cars, flights, activities and trip protection. Continued lodging growth outside the U.S. and rising vacation-rental scale on Vrbo likely supported second-quarter volumes.
April through June brought several traveler-facing initiatives. At its Explore 26 partner conference in May, Expedia unveiled new AI-driven planning tools, a partnership with CLEAR for airport experiences, an expanded Uber integration, and a collaboration with International Workplace Group offering complimentary Hotels.com status. The company also released Memorial Day and summer travel outlook reports highlighting demand for secondary cities and soccer-related trips. Alongside this, Expedia paid its quarterly dividend on June 18 and continued repurchasing shares under its enlarged buyback authorization, signaling confidence in cash generation.
Offsetting these catalysts, management had flagged elevated cancellations tied to geopolitical tensions and travel advisories, along with moderating promotional intensity in B2B and rising AI-related investment spend, factors that are likely to have continued weighing on margins and demand visibility through the second quarter. Broader consumer softness and competitive discounting across online travel remain lingering risks.
Given the stock's post-first-quarter rally already reflects much of the anticipated margin expansion and bookings growth, and with geopolitical and cost pressures unresolved, investors may be better served waiting for a more attractive entry point rather than chasing shares ahead of the print. Existing shareholders may prefer holding current positions until results clarify the durability of B2B strength, lodging expansion and AI-driven efficiency gains against full-year guidance that still calls for gross bookings growth of 6-8% and EBITDA margin expansion of up to 1.25 percentage points.
What Our Model Says About EXPE Stock
Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Expedia Group this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is exactly the case here.
EXPE currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.52% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Other Stocks to Consider
Here are some other companies worth considering, as our model shows that they also have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in their upcoming releases:
Sweetgreen SG currently has an Earnings ESP of +11.54% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. SG shares have declined 0.9% in the past six-month period. SG is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Groupon GRPN has an Earnings ESP of +4.00% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. GRPN shares have surged 102.5% in the past six-month period. GRPN is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6.
Portillo's Inc. PTLO presently has an Earnings ESP of +3.85% and a Zacks Rank #3. PTLO shares have declined 25.9% in the past six-month period. PTLO is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5.
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Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE): Free Stock Analysis Report
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Sweetgreen, Inc. (SG): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).