Expedia Group plans to reduce its workforce by 1,500 jobs, approximately 8% of its employees, as part of a restructuring effort. The travel technology company, which operates Expedia.com and owns brands like Vrbo and Hotels.com, expects this move to result in $80-100 million in pre-tax charges and cash expenditures, primarily for employee severance and compensation benefit costs. The company's stock was down nearly 1% during Monday's trading session, but rose by about 0.67% in after-hours trading.
Several stocks are experiencing significant midday movements, including Pinterest, Cloudflare, PepsiCo, and Expedia. The market is closely monitoring these developments as investors assess their impact on the overall financial landscape.
Expedia's stock plummeted after announcing a surprise CEO change, despite reporting strong fourth-quarter results. The company's President of Expedia for Business, Ariane Gorin, will take over as CEO in May. The stock's decline is attributed to a "buy the rumor, sell the news" event, with investors possibly capitalizing on the stock hitting a 52-week high. Additionally, the CFO mentioned softer-than-expected bookings, possibly influenced by the Boeing experience impacting travel demand, although this claim is met with skepticism.
Expedia Group's shares plummeted 18% after warning of a slowdown in 2024 revenue growth due to softening air fares post-pandemic, with CEO Peter Kern stepping down and being replaced by Ariane Gorin. The company's first-quarter guidance fell short of investor expectations, with gross bookings and revenue growth expected to be in the low- to mid-single digits range. Despite this, Expedia reported a better-than-expected adjusted profit of $1.72 per share, driven by resilient holiday season demand, but its shares trade at a lower forward profit estimate multiple compared to rival Booking Holdings.
Expedia Group Inc. announced Ariane Gorin as the new CEO, replacing Peter Kern, and reported lower-than-expected holiday bookings. Kern, who took over during the pandemic, will remain as vice chairman. The unexpected leadership change may signal strategic struggles. Expedia's focus on technical upgrades and loyalty program revamp under Kern didn't yield the expected post-pandemic travel boom, leading to a loss of market share to rivals like Airbnb. The new CEO, Gorin, has been leading a division that sells advertising and travel technology to corporate clients and has shown strong financial growth. Expedia plans to increase marketing expenses to compete with Airbnb and Booking. The stock fell 13% in extended trading following the news.
Cloudflare's shares surge in after-hours trading after reporting strong fourth-quarter earnings and forecasting first-quarter revenue that beats expectations, while Expedia's shares decline as the company releases mixed fourth-quarter earnings and announces a CEO transition plan. Cloudflare's revenue for the quarter was $362.5 million, a 32% increase year-over-year, with full-year 2023 revenue at $1.3 billion, while Expedia reported its highest ever full-year and fourth quarter revenue, both growing 10%.
Expedia Group announced that CEO Peter Kern will step down and Ariane Gorin, currently president of Expedia for Business, will succeed him, becoming the first woman to lead the company. The announcement came as a surprise, with Gorin set to take charge on May 13 and also join the board’s executive committee. Kern will stay on as vice chairman to assist with the transition, and the company's chairman, Barry Diller, expressed confidence in Gorin after an internal search for Kern's successor.
The Northern Lights are expected to be especially strong through 2025, making 2024 an ideal time to plan a trip to see this natural phenomenon. Tips for seeing the aurora include getting expert help, avoiding a full moon, staying for several days, and having the right gear. Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories is recommended for viewing due to its location under the auroral oval and stable weather. Additionally, there are various activities to enjoy in Yellowknife if the weather doesn't cooperate, and Expedia offers a Northern Lights booking guide for different global destinations.
Expedia is aiming to use AI to shift the balance of power in the travel industry by getting users to start their trip planning on its site instead of using external search engines like Google. The company plans to leverage its vast library of flight and hotel information, along with user preferences, to recommend travel destinations and streamline the planning process. Expedia's goal is to bring more direct traffic to its site and increase revenue by cutting out the middleman. While personalized travel planning is not yet available, Expedia has already implemented AI in various aspects of its services, including customer service features and property descriptions.
Michael Burry's hedge fund, Scion Asset Management, increased its holdings in Expedia earlier this year, and the bet is paying off as the stock soared over 18% to a three-month high. The surge was driven by Expedia's impressive third-quarter earnings beat and record revenue, as well as the announcement of a $5 billion stock buyback plan. Burry's investment in Expedia has resulted in a profit of over $3 million.
Apple's stock dropped 1% as the tech giant reported a revenue decline for the fourth consecutive quarter, primarily due to poor sales in China. Meanwhile, Cardinal Health's shares rallied 8.2% after the drug distributor exceeded profit expectations and raised its full-year outlook. Expedia's stock soared 15.4% after the travel services company authorized a $5 billion stock buyback and reported better-than-expected adjusted profit. Block Inc. saw a 14% surge in shares as the fintech company set ambitious adjusted EBITDA targets for 2024. Additionally, DraftKings and FuboTV experienced stock gains after surpassing analyst estimates in their quarterly results.
Shares of Expedia Group Inc. tumbled 11% after the company reported second-quarter profit that exceeded expectations, but revenue and bookings fell short. The company swung to a net income of $385 million, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.89. However, revenue grew 5.6% to $3.356 billion, below the consensus estimate, and booked hotel room nights and gross bookings also missed projections. Despite this, Expedia noted strong travel demand during the quarter.
Cigna, Apple, DraftKings, Bumble, Expedia, and DoorDash reported better than expected quarterly results, leading to premarket gains. Warner Bros. Discovery and Lyft reported losses and weaker than expected forecasts, causing their stocks to fall. Booking Holdings reported strong travel demand but fell short of analyst forecasts. Coinbase posted better than expected results but warned of upcoming pressure on its subscription and services revenue.
Apple's stock rose nearly 2% after reporting earnings of $1.52 per share on revenue of $94.84 billion for the second fiscal quarter. Carvana's stock surged 23% in after-hours trading after posting a loss of $1.51 per share for the first quarter, coming in below estimates for a loss of $2 per share. Lyft's shares fell over 14% after reporting a net loss of $187.6 million, while Expedia's stock gained nearly 6% after revenue for the latest quarter came in slightly ahead of Wall Street's forecasts. Coinbase's shares gained nearly 9% after posting a smaller-than-expected loss of 34 cents per share on $773 million in revenue, and Block's stock rose 2.6% on an earnings beat.
