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Sabre Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 18 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 3%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $667 million against $645 million a year earlier. Distribution revenue rose 5% to $527 million, while IT Solutions fell 4% to $140 million. Source
  • Quarterly operating income fell on restructuring: Operating income was $21 million against $46 million. The restructuring charge for the inflation offset program and higher incentive expenses drove the decline, partly offset by lower labor and professional services. Source
  • Q4 air bookings grew 4%: Management said air distribution bookings grew 4% in the fourth quarter and 7% in December. Air bookings for the quarter were 69,976, against 67,468 a year earlier. Source
  • Quarterly operating margin fell to 3.2%: Operating margin was 3.2% in the fourth quarter, against 7.1% a year earlier. For the full year it was 10.7%, against 8.8%. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow was negative: Full-year free cash flow was negative $192 million, including $227 million of payment-in-kind interest. Pro forma free cash flow was $57 million. Source
  • Agentic APIs and MCP server launched: Management announced agentic APIs and a proprietary MCP server intended to power how travel is searched, booked and serviced. Source

“Despite a challenging 2025, we strengthened our balance sheet, and generated full-year positive Pro Forma Free Cash Flow.”

Kurt Ekert, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ1 2026~$130MNew
Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY 2026~$585MNew
Interest expense, net SourceQ1 2026approximately $120 millionNew
Net loss from continuing operations SourceFY 2026approximately $132 millionNew
Interest expense, net SourceFY 2026approximately $478 millionNew
Stock-based compensation SourceFY 2026approximately $68 millionNew
Depreciation and amortization SourceFY 2026approximately $72 millionNew
Restructuring and other expenses SourceFY 2026approximately $14 millionNew
Provision for income taxes SourceFY 2026approximately $31 millionNew
Pro forma adjustments for Hospitality Solutions costs SourceFY 2026approximately $26 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Management issued first quarter and full-year 2026 guidance on a pro forma basis, giving effect to the Hospitality Solutions sale. Source
  • New: Garry Wiseman was promoted to President, Product and Engineering, with his remit expanded to include innovation and agentic AI. Source
  • New: Shawn Williams was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, leading revenue and commercial operations. Source
  • New: Andy Finkelstein was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Marketplace, and Dave Medrano was promoted to Chief People Officer. Source
  • Ended: Roshan Mendis, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, is moving to a senior advisor role until his expected departure in the second quarter of 2026. Source
  • New: A restructuring charge tied to the inflation offset program was accrued in the fourth quarter, with the program to be implemented in 2026. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 3%: Fourth-quarter revenue was $667 million against $645 million a year earlier. Distribution revenue rose 5% to $527 million, while IT Solutions fell 4% to $140 million. Source
  • Quarterly operating income fell on restructuring: Operating income was $21 million against $46 million. The restructuring charge for the inflation offset program and higher incentive expenses drove the decline, partly offset by lower labor and professional services. Source
  • Full-year operating income rose 22%: Full-year operating income was $295 million, up from $242 million, helped by lower labor and professional services, lower technology expenses and lower depreciation and amortization. Source
  • Full-year net income reflects the sale gain: Net income attributable to common stockholders was $525 million, against a net loss of $279 million, mainly from the gain on sale of Hospitality Solutions. Loss from continuing operations was $255 million. Source
  • Quarterly net loss widened: Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $103 million, against a $75 million loss a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $(0.26), with a $5 million loss on debt extinguishment and a smaller tax benefit. Source

Distribution and IT Solutions segments

  • Average booking fee rose 2% in Q4: Average booking fee was $6.31 in the fourth quarter, up from $6.17. For the full year the average booking fee was $6.07, against $5.98 in 2024. Source
  • IT Solutions fell on prior-year revenue: IT Solutions revenue fell $5 million to $140 million in the fourth quarter, from revenue recorded in the prior year that did not recur. Source
  • Carrier de-migrations cut full-year IT revenue: Full-year IT Solutions revenue fell 3% to $554 million. De-migrations from carriers that moved before 2024 cut $15 million, and other revenue fell $9 million, partly offset by $7 million of volume growth. Source

“With an improving travel industry backdrop in early 2026, and continued growth from our SabreMosaic Marketplace, we expect a meaningful acceleration in year-on-year volume and revenue growth.”

Kurt Ekert, President and CEO

Bookings and passenger volumes

  • Q4 air bookings grew 4%: Management said air distribution bookings grew 4% in the fourth quarter and 7% in December. Air bookings for the quarter were 69,976, against 67,468 a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year bookings rose 1%: Full-year air bookings were 308,490, flat year on year. Total bookings net of cancellations rose 1% to 365 million, and passengers boarded rose 2% to 695,423. Source
  • Lodging, ground and sea bookings steady: Lodging, ground and sea bookings were 13,496 in the fourth quarter, flat year on year, and 56,771 for the year, up 2%. Source

Costs, incentives and margins

  • Quarterly operating margin fell to 3.2%: Operating margin was 3.2% in the fourth quarter, against 7.1% a year earlier. For the full year it was 10.7%, against 8.8%. Source
  • Incentive expenses partly offset savings: Increased incentive expenses partly offset the decrease in labor and professional services in the fourth quarter and the full year. Source
  • Lower labor and technology costs lifted profit: Full-year operating income improved on lower labor and professional services, lower technology expenses and lower depreciation and amortization. Source
  • Normalized Adjusted EBITDA rose 10%: Full-year Normalized Adjusted EBITDA was $536 million, up from $485 million. Fourth-quarter Normalized Adjusted EBITDA was $119 million, against $108 million, and the year included a sales tax refund. Source

“Our commitment to innovation positions us well to drive consistent long-term growth and value creation”

Kurt Ekert, President and CEO

Cash flow, debt and interest

  • Year-end cash of $910 million: Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash ended the year at $910 million, up from $745 million at the prior year end. Source
  • Debt repaid and maturities extended: Management said it repaid more than $1 billion of debt and reduced net leverage. Over 90% of debt now matures in 2029 or later. Net debt was $3.74 billion at year end. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow was negative: Full-year free cash flow was negative $192 million, including $227 million of payment-in-kind interest. Pro forma free cash flow was $57 million. Source
  • Q4 free cash flow included refinancing costs: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $116 million, against $61 million. It included $19 million of refinancing disbursements and interest paid earlier than previously expected. Source

AI platform and partnerships

  • Agentic APIs and MCP server launched: Management announced agentic APIs and a proprietary MCP server intended to power how travel is searched, booked and serviced. Source
  • Partnerships extend the AI platform: Partners include PayPal and Mindtrip for an end-to-end agentic travel experience, BizTrip for corporate travel assistants, and Virgin Australia for the generative AI chat solution. Source
  • Hospitality sale closed in July: The Hospitality Solutions sale to a TPG affiliate closed on July 3, 2025, and its results are presented as discontinued operations. Source

Coming up, as management said on 18 February 2026

  • Leadership changes take effect: The executive leadership changes announced today are effective February 19, 2026, unless otherwise noted. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customer counts (NDC connections) Source42, an increase of 15 during 2025

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Refinancing activity in 2025 produced a $91 million loss on extinguishment of debt, which reduced reported results. Source
  • Regulatory: Indirect tax matters include charges for digital services tax on historical periods, which may ultimately be settled in cash. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The release states the company met fourth-quarter guidance for revenue and Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Not stated: An earlier release committed to delevering the balance sheet. The fourth-quarter release reports debt repayment and reduced net leverage without a stated status against that commitment.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release guided fourth-quarter air distribution volumes to 6% to 8% year-on-year growth. The fourth-quarter release does not state a status against this guidance.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release guided fourth-quarter Pro Forma Free Cash Flow to about $130 million and ending cash to about $800 million, with full-year Pro Forma Free Cash Flow of about $70 million. No status is given in the fourth-quarter release.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release guided full-year 2025 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA to about $530 million. The fourth-quarter release does not state a status against this figure.

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.