Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB)
Airbnb is a global online marketplace that connects people looking to rent out their spare rooms or homes with travellers seeking unique places to stay.
Is Airbnb, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Highly efficient business model with very high profit margins. Worth weighing: No dividend payments for those looking for regular income.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Airbnb, Inc. do?
Airbnb acts as a digital middleman, taking a small slice of the fee every time a booking is made on its platform. Because it doesn't own the properties itself, it runs a very efficient business model with high profit margins. Watch how well they keep growing their user base while navigating changing local regulations on short-term rentals.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 16% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 20% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 42 - big growth is already priced in
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 35%)
- Quality screens high
- Momentum screens high
- Value screens low
- Income screens low
Does Airbnb, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Airbnb, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does Airbnb, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $12.07B in cash against about $2.50B of debt - so it has net cash of about $9.57B. More cash than debt is a cushion: it does not need to borrow just to cover what it owes.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Airbnb, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Airbnb, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Airbnb, Inc. fell as much as −35% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns Airbnb, Inc.?
About 89% of Airbnb, Inc., or about 89 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 1%. The rest, roughly 10%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Airbnb, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Where does each £100 of Airbnb, Inc.'s sales go?
A rough split of the latest full-year figures: of every £100 of sales, about £17 covers making the product or service, £63 goes on running costs, tax and interest, and about £20 is left as profit. Margins vary a lot by industry, and one-off items can distort a single year.
When does Airbnb, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Airbnb, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-05 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | $1.25 | $1.37 | Beat +9% |
| 2026-05-07 | $0.30 | $0.26 | Missed -14% |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.66 | $0.56 | Missed -16% |
| 2025-11-06 | $2.32 | $2.21 | Missed -5% |
| 2025-08-06 | $0.94 | $1.03 | Beat +9% |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.24 | $0.24 | In line |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Airbnb, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Airbnb, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Airbnb becomes the primary global platform for all types of travel and accommodation.
Widespread legal restrictions on short-term rentals severely limit the supply of homes.
What are the pros and cons of Airbnb, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Highly efficient business model with very high profit margins
- Strong brand recognition as a leader in the travel space
- Asset-light structure means they don't have to pay for property maintenance
- No dividend payments for those looking for regular income
- High valuation compared to some traditional travel companies
- Relies heavily on the discretionary spending of travellers
- Local governments passing stricter laws against short-term rentals
- Dependence on the health of the global travel and tourism industry
- Potential for reputational damage from host or guest disputes
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major shift in global travel habits away from home-sharing
- Significant changes to international property rental laws
Common questions about Airbnb, Inc.
Does Airbnb, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Airbnb, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Airbnb, Inc. report earnings next?
Airbnb, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-05. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Lowe's Companies, Inc.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.