Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) Upgraded by Barclays to Hold Rating

Barclays upgraded shares of Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Friday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Airbnb from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the company from $117.00 to $141.00 in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of Airbnb in a research note on Friday, December 5th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Airbnb in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Wedbush lifted their price objective on shares of Airbnb from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Airbnb from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Airbnb presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $146.92.

Airbnb Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:ABNB opened at $139.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $126.57 and a 200 day moving average of $127.71. The company has a market cap of $85.73 billion, a PE ratio of 33.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.09. Airbnb has a 12-month low of $99.88 and a 12-month high of $163.93.

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

Insider Activity at Airbnb

In related news, Director Joseph Gebbia sold 236,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.66, for a total transaction of $28,475,760.00. Following the sale, the director owned 232,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,994,929.90. This represents a 50.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Nathan Blecharczyk sold 141,063 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $17,204,043.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 11,520 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,404,979.20. This trade represents a 92.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,579,756 shares of company stock valued at $193,545,739. Insiders own 27.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Airbnb during the first quarter valued at $258,000. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Airbnb by 55.8% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 12,161 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,453,000 after acquiring an additional 4,353 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Airbnb by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $604,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Airbnb during the 1st quarter valued at about $11,440,000. Finally, First Hawaiian Bank lifted its position in shares of Airbnb by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 7,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $876,000 after purchasing an additional 699 shares during the period. 80.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Airbnb

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.