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Expedia ( EXPE ) stock vaulted Thursday, though the company late Wednesday posted Q4 results below expectations. Still, it performed better than the worst fears and saw bookings jump, thanks to a pair of big acquisitions. Expedia stock was up 9% in early afternoon trading on the stock market today , near 103. Expedia partner TripAdvisor ( TRIP ) saw its stock jump 16% Thursday afternoon, after that company reported a Q4 earnings beat before the open. Shares of rival Priceline ( PCLN ) were up 1.5% in afternoon trading. Expedia gave 2016 guidance for EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which met Wall Street views. Some analysts, though, like its prospects. The growing benefits of Expedia’s recent acquisitions Orbitz and HomeAway are encouraging, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney said in a research note. He cited executives’ commentary on the acquisitions’ momentum and added that he trusts Expedia’s CEO to tell it like it is. “Expedia has emerged as an excellent play on the secular growth in online travel and as a strong integrator of assets,” Mahaney wrote. “Its growth rate outlook and fundamental position have become very comparable to industry leader Priceline, which we also recommend as a stock.” Jefferies analyst Brian Fitzgerald wrote in a research note that the two acquisitions added 28% to booking growth and 19% to sales growth, though he says that they will likely squeeze profit margins for the foreseeable future as Expedia integrates both firms. On the company’s earnings conference call with analysts late Wednesday, Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that HomeAway will operate as a separate business while Orbitz is integrated into Expedia’s “technology stack.” Cowen analyst Kevin Kopelman called Q4 results “solid” and reiterated his price target of 135. Macroeconomic Fears Unfounded, For Now The slower economy is an overhang that Expedia seems to be weathering, analyst Mahaney said. “The market has assumed a boat tossed on the violent macro(economic) seas, but we see steady sailing,” Mahaney wrote. On the call, Khosrowshahi said that Expedia has thus far not experienced material macroeconomic effects. Mahaney said that he believes him. Khosrowshahi “was the most vocal and honest Internet CEO during the 2007-08 recession when it came to calling dramatic macro (he called it ‘a dog’s breakfast’ at the time),” Mahaney wrote. “So he has cred with us. And he should with you.” On the call, Khosrowshahi said that the terrorist attacks in Paris cost the company $10 million to $15 million in sales. Foreign exchange also had an impact. “One thing I will remind you as far as the core business is that foreign exchange was a really, really significant headwind last year,” Khosrowshahi said. Despite Mahaney’s positive view, he lowered his price target on Expedia stock to 180 to 160. Expedia and Priceline could consolidate their online travel lead in 2016, some analysts say. “Looking at online travel, we’re getting to the point of relative maturity; it’s no longer an early-stage category,” Guggenheim analyst Jake Fuller told IBD in December. “Thirty-eight percent of total travel is sold online.” Scalper1 News
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