Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) Raised to “Hold” at Wells Fargo & Company

Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) was upgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on ABNB. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Airbnb in a report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Airbnb from $165.00 to $162.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wedbush upped their price objective on Airbnb from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Airbnb from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $117.00 to $141.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Airbnb in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $146.92.

Airbnb Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ABNB opened at $139.27 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.08, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.09. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $126.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.71. Airbnb has a 52-week low of $99.88 and a 52-week high of $163.93.

Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.10). Airbnb had a net margin of 22.03% and a return on equity of 32.14%. The business had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. Airbnb’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Airbnb will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Brian Chesky sold 51,230 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.16, for a total value of $6,719,326.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 45,854 shares in the company, valued at $6,014,210.64. The trade was a 52.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Nathan Blecharczyk sold 141,063 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $17,204,043.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,520 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,404,979.20. This trade represents a 92.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,579,756 shares of company stock valued at $193,545,739. Company insiders own 27.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in Airbnb during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Airbnb in the third quarter worth $25,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Airbnb by 70.9% during the second quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in Airbnb by 397.7% during the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wiser Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Airbnb during the third quarter valued at $27,000. 80.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Airbnb News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Airbnb this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded ABNB, citing potential tailwinds from RNPL initiatives, a hotel push and demand boosts from the World Cup — a near-term revenue catalyst for bookings. RNPL, hotel push and World Cup to boost Airbnb, Barclays upgrades stock
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded the stock, adding institutional support to the bullish narrative and helping lift near-term sentiment. Cantor Fitzgerald upgrades Airbnb (ABNB)
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst write-ups and upgrades (coverage summarized by Benzinga and other outlets) show the street moving less bearish, which supports buying interest. Breaking Down Airbnb: 13 Analysts Share Their Views
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage notes ABNB is outpacing the broader market recently, reflecting momentum but not necessarily a change in fundamentals. That can attract momentum traders. Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Tapasya Fund disclosed it sold ABNB in 2024 (fund-level decision). This appears to be reallocation rather than a fresh vote of no confidence, but it reduces one institutional holder. Tapasya Fund Sold Airbnb (ABNB) in 2024
• Negative Sentiment: Senior executives sold millions in company stock, which can be read as insider monetization and may spook some investors despite insider sales sometimes being routine. Airbnb’s (ABNB) Senior Executives Sell Millions Worth of Company Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein issued a pessimistic forecast for ABNB, highlighting downside risk and providing a counterweight to the upgrades; this keeps some investors cautious on valuation. Sanford C. Bernstein Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) Stock Price

About Airbnb

Airbnb, Inc (NASDAQ: ABNB) operates a global online marketplace that connects travelers with hosts offering short-term lodging, unique accommodations and related travel experiences. The company’s core platform enables individuals and professional property managers to list private homes, apartments, single rooms and entire properties, while providing search, booking and payment processing for guests. Airbnb earns revenue primarily through service fees charged to guests and hosts and offers tools to facilitate reservations, communications, and logistics between parties.

Beyond accommodations, Airbnb has expanded its product portfolio to include curated experiences led by local hosts, higher-end offerings such as Airbnb Luxe, and programs aimed at enhancing quality and safety like Airbnb Plus.