A recent first-quarter earnings update showed that strong travel demand is still lifting Airbnb's (ABNB 0.87%) business to new heights. The rental platform specialist is solidly profitable and cash-flow-positive, and the short-term outlook is upbeat despite slowing economic growth rates in many parts of the world.
Yet some investors are concerned about the prospects for weaker sales trends ahead. Airbnb's elevated valuation is a worry, too. Let's take a closer look at whether the stock is still an attractive option for investors in 2023.
Solid growth
Airbnb's early 2023 sales trends didn't disappoint. Revenue jumped 24% after adjusting for currency exchange rate swings, marking just a modest slowdown from the prior quarter's blazing 31% spike.
The company achieved new Q1 records in booking value and in the number of guests using its platform (120 million). There was a healthy mix between repeat guests and first-time renters, too. "We had a strong start to 2023," executives said in a shareholder letter.
Sparkling finances
Shareholders saw concrete evidence that Airbnb has a powerful financial model. Free cash flow was solidly positive and is up to $3.8 billion over the past full year, or 44% of sales. Airbnb reported another quarter of elevated -- and improving -- profit margin. Net income landed at $117 million compared to a modest loss a year earlier.
ABNB Operating Margin (TTM) data by YCharts
Fiscal 2022 was Airbnb's first full profitable year, but investors are hoping for many more good years ahead. The company lost $352 million in 2021, generated a profit of $1.9 billion last year, and is targeting another solid performance in 2023. Yet its short-term forecast contained some mixed signals on this score.
Outlook and value
Airbnb is projecting weaker margins in Q2, along with slower sales growth. Revenue gains should decelerate to between 12% and 16%, in fact. This slowdown will happen just as management boosts spending on marketing, likely pushing profitability lower.
Executives say the marketing boost isn't a sign of weaker demand but rather a timing shift that's aimed at generating higher returns while supporting the peak summer travel season. In other words, the company is pulling forward spending from later in the year.
Investors have good reason to believe this bullish reading, especially given that Airbnb's booking backlog is 25% higher year over year. Strong guest traffic through early 2023 is further evidence that the platform is resonating with both hosts and travelers.
Yet it is also understandable that the stock fell in the immediate wake of this earnings update. Airbnb shares had trounced the market heading into the Q1 report. The stock's valuation rose to over 10 times annual sales compared to less than 7 at the start of the year. That spike raised the bar for management to report strong Q1 results and an aggressive short-term outlook.
Shareholders only received part of what they wanted. Airbnb is calling for weaker results in the second quarter as the company prepares for the summer peak volume period. That's no reason to abandon the stock, and it doesn't threaten Airbnb's growth thesis.
But the shares' volatility following the report is a reminder that investors should be prepared to see short-term slumps in growth stocks that have high expectations built into their prices. If you don't mind that risk, Airbnb is still a good buy for growth-focused investors.
