Airbnb ‘s latest quarterly earnings outperformed expectations, but most analysts are still concerned about the stock going forward. Several analysts covering the stock reiterated their neutral or sell ratings on Airbnb a day after the company reported its calendar fourth-quarter results, citing ongoing risks for the short-term rental name. “Risks include competition, slower-than-expected consumer adoption of alternative accommodations, potential reacceleration in core short- term stays, and faster-than-expected rollout of ancillary revenue streams,” Credit Suisse analyst Stephen Ju said in a note, maintaining his neutral rating. The analyst has a price target of $160 per share, implying upside of 32.3%. JPMorgan’s Doug Anmuth also reiterated a neutral rating on the stock, noting that online travel is growing more competitive. He added that that Airbnb is still “early in [its] profitability ramp,” meaning it could take a while before its bottom line shows significant growth. Anmuth also pointed to a more fundamental problem for Airbnb. “Airbnb is built on the concept of trust, so negative behaviors of hosts and/or guests could negatively affect Airbnb’s reputation and public perception.” The company has struggled with damage to rental sites from parties, and instituted a permanent ban on house parties in 2022. Additionally, Airbnb has faced regulatory pressures within the U.S. and other regions , with governments voicing concern about the companies’ impacts on local housing prices. ABNB 1D mountain Airbnb after releasing its fourth-quarter earnings Goldman Sachs’ Eric Sheridan was even more negative on the stock going forward. He reiterated his sell rating on Airbnb. “Looking toward 2023, we continue to have concerns about a mixture of changed consumer behavior,” Sheridan wrote on Wednesday. He added that these worries “could result in either a general slowdown in travel trends (booking growth), mix shift dynamics that might slow the rate of change on ADRs, both of those elements having a downward pressure on incremental margins & the long-term secular growth debate that persisted around what a post-pandemic environment looks like (return to office vs. hybrid work environments).” Sheridan raised his price target on the stock to $98 per share from $87. However, that new target still implies downside of nearly 19% from Tuesday’s close. Not everyone was as negative on Airbnb after its earnings report, however. Wells Fargo’s Brian Fitz said he “continue[s] to like ABNB’s category leadership, consistently strong execution, and operating discipline.” While he noted that concerns regarding margins pressure and macro headwinds could weigh on strong demand, he remained optimistic that Airbnb can remain resilient. Airbnb’s business model “has proven resilient through the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote in a Wednesday client note, adding that he expects “ABNB can leverage its various tailwinds and moats to drive strong LT revenue and earnings growth.” Airbnb cut 25% of its employees during the pandemic in 2020 as part of cost-cutting measures. The company has since resumed expanding its workforce and said that it expects to “continue hiring at a judicious pace in 2023.” Its current headcount level is down 5% compared with 2019, while revenue is up 75%. Fitz reiterated his overweight rating on the stock, and raised his price target to $165 from $130, implying a 36.5% upside from Tuesday’s closing price of $120.87. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
