What happened
Shares of Sabre Corp. (SABR +8.62%) jumped on Tuesday following the travel-software and data-solutions company's first-quarter report. Sabre beat analyst estimates for both revenue and earnings, sending the stock up 14.1% by market close.
So what
Sabre reported first-quarter revenue of $988.4 million, up 8% year over year and about $45 million higher than the average analyst estimate. The travel network business generated $721.1 million in revenue, up 8.7% year over year; the airline solutions business generated $206.6 million in revenue, up 6.7% year over year; and the hospitality solutions business generated $68.1 million in revenue, up 5.8% year over year.
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Non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $0.44, up from $0.42 in the prior-year period and $0.02 better than analysts were expecting. The company pointed to revenue growth and the benefits of cost initiatives as the drivers behind the earnings growth.
CEO Sean Menke summed up the quarter:
We are off to a strong start on the year with solid revenue growth across the business. The macro global travel environment in the first quarter was supportive. This, combined with new business activity, drove strong bookings growth in Travel Network, a solid increase in passengers boarded on a consistent carrier basis in Airline Solutions, and continued robust hotel transactions in Hospitality Solutions.
Now what
For the full year, Sabre expects revenue between $3.76 billion and $3.84 billion, up 4% to 7% from 2017. Adjusted EPS is expected between $1.39 and $1.53, down 1% to up 9%; free cash flow of $425 million, up 18%, is also expected. This guidance represents an increase from the company's previous guidance.
With a solid first-quarter report and a guidance bump, investors had plenty of reasons to bid up the stock on Tuesday.
