Yahoo Finance

• Fourth Quarter Room Nights Growth: 13% year-over-year.

• Fourth Quarter Gross Bookings Growth: 17% year-over-year.

• Fourth Quarter Revenue Growth: 14% year-over-year.

• Fourth Quarter Adjusted EBITDA: $1.8 billion, 26% increase year-over-year.

• Fourth Quarter Adjusted EPS: $41.55 per share, 30% increase year-over-year.

• Full Year Gross Bookings: $166 billion, 10% increase year-over-year.

• Full Year Revenue: $24 billion, 11% increase year-over-year.

• Full Year Adjusted EBITDA: Over $8 billion, 17% increase year-over-year.

• Full Year Adjusted EPS: Over $187 per share, 23% increase year-over-year.

• Alternative Accommodations Listings: 7.9 million, 8% increase year-over-year.

• Alternative Accommodations Room Night Growth: 19% in the fourth quarter.

• Airline Tickets Booked: Almost 50 million for the full year, 38% increase year-over-year.

• Merchant Gross Bookings Mix: 59% of total gross bookings at Booking.com in 2024.

• Cash and Investments Balance: $16.7 billion at the end of the fourth quarter.

• Share Repurchase Program: $6 billion repurchased in 2024, $7.7 billion remaining under authorization.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with BKNG.

Release Date: February 20, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BKNG) reported a strong finish to 2024 with room nights exceeding expectations, growing 13% year over year.

• Fourth quarter gross bookings grew 17% and revenue increased by 14%, both surpassing prior guidance.

• Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $1.8 billion, a 26% increase from the previous year.

• The company achieved significant growth in alternative accommodations, with listings reaching 7.9 million, up 8% from the previous year.

• Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BKNG) is leveraging Generative AI to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency, with initiatives like Booking.com's AI Trip Planner and Priceline's AI-powered travel assistant.

Negative Points

• The company faces potential risks from increased competition due to the rise of agentic AI platforms that could bypass traditional booking channels.

• There are concerns about the impact of new technologies on the mix between paid and direct traffic, which could affect profitability.

• The transformation program, while aimed at cost reduction, involves difficult decisions such as workforce reductions.

• First quarter 2025 growth is expected to be impacted by the leap year and Easter timing, with room night growth projected between 5% and 7%.

• Despite strong growth, the company acknowledges that the revenue impact from AI advancements may take longer to materialize compared to cost savings.