New York, February 13, 2026, 12:13 EST — Regular session
- Airbnb shares up about 4.5% in midday trading after its latest results and outlook
- Company pointed to steady demand for higher-priced stays even as budget travelers pull back
- Analysts are split on whether product spending can lift growth without squeezing margins
Airbnb Inc (ABNB.O) shares rose 4.5% to $121.17 in midday Nasdaq trading on Friday, after opening at $125.90 and swinging between $119.73 and $127.26.
The move matters for travel stocks right now. Investors are trying to map 2026 demand in real time, and the early reads have been uneven across consumers.
Airbnb told investors on Thursday that guests were “choosing more expensive listings,” even as budget-conscious travelers pull back. It also forecast first-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates, echoing a wider premium-demand theme flagged by hotel groups and airlines. (Reuters)
In its shareholder letter, the company said fourth-quarter revenue rose 12% to $2.78 billion, while gross booking value — the dollar value of bookings made on its platform — increased 16% to $20.4 billion. Airbnb guided first-quarter revenue of $2.59 billion to $2.63 billion and said adjusted EBITDA margin, a profitability gauge, should be roughly flat year over year.
On the earnings call, CEO Brian Chesky said an in-house AI, short for artificial intelligence, customer-support agent is already “resolving a third of the support issues without needing a live specialist,” with a wider rollout planned. He pitched the work as part of a push to keep guests and hosts inside Airbnb as chat-based search spreads. (The Motley Fool)
Deutsche Bank upgraded Airbnb to buy from hold and raised its price target to $154 from $128, CNBC reported, citing product changes such as “Reserve Now, Pay Later” and a simplified fee structure. (Finviz)
Still, the debate is not settled across the group. Barron’s said Expedia’s shares fell after its own results, and pointed to worries that inflation and labor-market uncertainty could cool travel spending and reshape how online travel sites win traffic. (Barron’s)
Airbnb’s rebound also comes with a clear risk: it is leaning into more product work and marketing, and that spend needs to show up in bookings. If demand softens, the margin story gets harder.
Regulation remains another overhang. Limits on short-term rentals in large cities can squeeze supply, and that can ripple into growth even when demand is there.
For the next few sessions, traders will watch booking trends, pricing and any hints on whether higher-end demand is widening beyond a handful of markets. They will also track how peers trade on the same themes, because sector sentiment has been moving fast.
The next hard catalyst is Airbnb’s first-quarter report, which MarketScreener’s calendar lists for May 12. (MarketScreener)
