greeksoup/ stock research

Expedia Group, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue grew 15% on B2B: Revenue was $3,426 million against $2,988 million a year earlier. The company said B2B drove the increase, with B2B revenue of $1,183 million against $947 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 83%: Adjusted EBITDA was $542 million against $296 million a year earlier. Source
  • B2B gross bookings rose 22%: B2B gross bookings were $10,746 million against $8,836 million. B2B revenue was $1,183 million against $947 million a year earlier. Source
  • B2C margin up 902 basis points: B2C adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.1% against 11.1%. B2C adjusted EBITDA was $426 million against $217 million. Source
  • Deferred merchant bookings rose: Deferred merchant bookings were $15,000 million at March 31, 2026, against $10,428 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Free cash flow rose 36%: Free cash flow was $3,747 million against $2,756 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $3,931 million against $2,952 million. Source
  • Share repurchases of $700 million: The company repurchased about 3.3 million shares for $700 million in the first quarter. The cash flow statement shows purchases of treasury stock of $788 million. Source

“Through disciplined execution of our strategic priorities, we achieved the highest first-quarter profitability in our history.”

Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Gross bookings SourceFiscal year 2026$127 - $129B +6 - 8%Kept
Revenue SourceFiscal year 2026$15.6 - $16.0B +6 - 9%Kept
Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion SourceFiscal year 2026+1 - 1.25ptsKept
Gross bookings SourceSecond quarter 2026$32.5 - $33.1B +7 - 9%New
Revenue SourceSecond quarter 2026$4.11 - $4.19B +9 - 11%New
Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion SourceSecond quarter 20260.5 - 1ptNew
Share repurchase authorization SourceNot stated$5 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 gross bookings, revenue and Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion guidance was kept at the figures given in February. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 guidance was given for gross bookings, revenue and Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. The February release had no second-quarter figures. Source
  • Ended: The first-quarter 2026 guidance given in February ended with the quarter, which the results release now reports.
  • New: A new $5 billion share repurchase authorization was announced. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue grew 15% on B2B: Revenue was $3,426 million against $2,988 million a year earlier. The company said B2B drove the increase, with B2B revenue of $1,183 million against $947 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 83%: Adjusted EBITDA was $542 million against $296 million a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted loss per share narrowed: GAAP diluted loss per share was $(0.05) against $(1.56). Adjusted EPS was $1.96 against $0.40. Source
  • Operating income turned to profit: Operating income was $251 million against an operating loss of $70 million a year earlier. Net loss attributable to the company was $(6) million against $(200) million. Source

Segments and regions

  • B2B gross bookings rose 22%: B2B gross bookings were $10,746 million against $8,836 million. B2B revenue was $1,183 million against $947 million a year earlier. Source
  • B2C revenue rose 8%: B2C revenue was $2,118 million against $1,956 million. B2C gross bookings were $24,784 million against $22,615 million. Source
  • Trivago advertising revenue rose 47%: trivago advertising and media revenue was $125 million against $85 million. trivago adjusted EBITDA was $(7) million against $(5) million. Source
  • Non-U.S. revenue grew faster: Non-U.S. points of sale revenue was $1,436 million against $1,157 million. U.S. points of sale revenue was $1,990 million against $1,831 million. Source

“as we delivered double-digit bookings and revenue growth and drove meaningful margin expansion despite a dynamic macroeconomic environment”

Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group

Products and customers

  • Lodging gross bookings rose 13%: Lodging gross bookings were $25,977 million against $23,032 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-lodging bookings also rose 13%: Non-lodging gross bookings were $9,553 million against $8,419 million a year earlier. Source
  • Lodging revenue rose 14%: Lodging revenue was $2,610 million against $2,289 million a year earlier. Source
  • Other revenue rose 16%: Other revenue, which the company says includes insurance, car rental, destination services and cruise, was $387 million against $333 million. Advertising and media EG revenue was $197 million against $174 million. Source

Operating costs and overhead

  • Direct selling and marketing up 6%: Direct selling and marketing expense was $1,856 million against $1,757 million. It was 5.2% of gross bookings, down 36 basis points. Source
  • Overhead rose to $627 million: Total adjusted overhead expenses were $627 million against $604 million a year earlier. Source
  • Restructuring charges more than doubled: Restructuring and related reorganization charges were $56 million against $26 million. Adjusted EBITDA excludes these charges, excluding stock-based compensation, of $52 million. Source
  • Legal reserves line was a credit: Legal reserves, occupancy tax and other was a credit of $64 million, against no amount a year earlier. The company excludes this line from Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS. Source

“Looking ahead, we remain confident in our ability to drive increasing value for travelers, partners, and shareholders.”

Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group

Margins and pricing

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 15.8%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.8% against 9.9%, an increase of 591 basis points. Source
  • B2C margin up 902 basis points: B2C adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.1% against 11.1%. B2C adjusted EBITDA was $426 million against $217 million. Source
  • B2B margin roughly flat: B2B adjusted EBITDA margin was 22.7% against 22.8%, down 8 basis points. B2B adjusted EBITDA was $269 million against $216 million. Source
  • Revenue margin up 14 basis points: Revenue as a percentage of gross bookings was 9.6% against 9.5%, an increase of 14 basis points. Source

Demand and bookings

  • Deferred merchant bookings rose: Deferred merchant bookings were $15,000 million at March 31, 2026, against $10,428 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Merchant bookings grew faster: Merchant gross bookings were $21,173 million against $18,212 million. Agency gross bookings were $14,357 million against $13,239 million. Source
  • Total gross bookings up 13%: Total gross bookings were $35,530 million against $31,451 million a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow rose 36%: Free cash flow was $3,747 million against $2,756 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $3,931 million against $2,952 million. Source
  • Share repurchases of $700 million: The company repurchased about 3.3 million shares for $700 million in the first quarter. The cash flow statement shows purchases of treasury stock of $788 million. Source
  • Long-term debt payments of $1,828 million: Payments related to long-term debt were $1,828 million against $1,044 million a year earlier. Cash and cash equivalents were $5,540 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Quarterly dividend of $0.48 declared: The company declared a $0.48 quarterly dividend with a record date of May 28, 2026. Source
  • Acquisitions and other outflow: Acquisitions and other, net was an outflow of $279 million against an inflow of $23 million a year earlier. Source

Below operating income

  • Interest expense nearly doubled: Interest expense was $111 million against $58 million. Total other expense, net was $226 million against $147 million. Source
  • Minority investment losses continued: Loss on minority equity investments, net was $155 million against $156 million. The company excludes this item from adjusted net income. Source
  • Adjusted tax rate 20.0%: The adjusted income tax rate was 20.0% against 21.5%. The company says it uses a long-term projected tax rate to compute adjusted net income. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026

  • Dividend payable June 18: The $0.48 quarterly dividend declared with these results is payable June 18, 2026, to holders of record on May 28, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Volume: booked room nights Source113.9 million, up 6%
Volume: booked air tickets Source15.7 million, up 6%
Yield: ADR booked Source$228.1, up 7%

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management cited a dynamic macroeconomic environment in describing the quarter's bookings, revenue and margin results. Source
  • Financial: The company said the margin forecast excludes foreign exchange and minority investment gains or losses, which it cannot predict without unreasonable effort. Source
  • Regulatory: Adjusted measures exclude transactional tax items, which the company says may ultimately be settled in cash. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said first-quarter 2026 results exceeded the guidance it had given, with 13% gross bookings and 15% revenue growth. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.