Airbnb's third-quarter revenue grew 19% to $4.9 billion, and the company added up to $12 billion in buybacks
The home-sharing company's bookings and profit grew in the summer quarter, according to its shareholder letter. It also guided to 16% to 18% growth for the fourth quarter and said its own AI trip-planning agent is coming in 2027.
Key takeaways
- Q3 2026 revenue was $4.87 billion, up 19% from a year earlier; net income was $1.89 billion.
- Airbnb announced a new repurchase program of up to $12 billion on top of $2.7 billion left as of September 30.
- Fourth-quarter revenue guidance is $3.22 billion to $3.28 billion, up 16% to 18%.
Airbnb reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $4.869 billion, up 19% from a year earlier, in a shareholder letter filed with the SEC on Thursday, November 5. Excluding currency effects, growth was 16%. Net income for the July-to-September quarter was $1.89 billion.
How did bookings and cash flow look?
Guests booked 155 million nights and seats in the quarter, up 16%, and gross booking value, the total dollar amount of bookings, climbed 21% to $27.7 billion. Adjusted EBITDA, a profit measure that leaves out items such as stock-based pay, was $2.51 billion, a 52% margin. Free cash flow came to $1.43 billion.
How big is the buyback?
Airbnb said it bought back $0.7 billion of its Class A shares during the quarter and had $2.7 billion left under its existing authorization at the end of September. It also announced a new program to repurchase up to an additional $12 billion. The company did not set a timeline for those purchases in the letter.
What did Airbnb say about AI and new products?
The company said its AI customer support handled about 40% of issues in the third quarter without a human agent, up from about a third in the second quarter. It plans to roll out its own AI trip-planning agent to guests in the first half of 2027. The letter also pointed to a deal with American Express, launched October 22, that puts more than one million Airbnb listings on Amex Travel, and to growth in hotel listings and services such as car rentals and grocery delivery.
What happens next
For the fourth quarter, Airbnb expects revenue of $3.22 billion to $3.28 billion, up 16% to 18%, including about two points of help from currency. It expects gross booking value to grow in the mid-teens and adjusted EBITDA to rise from a year earlier, though with a slightly lower margin. For all of 2026, it projects high-teens revenue growth and an adjusted EBITDA margin of about 36%. This is a summary of company-reported figures, not investment advice.
Sources
- Airbnb, Inc. (SEC Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1), Q3 2026 shareholder letter, November 5, 2026
- SEC EDGAR, Filing index for Airbnb Form 8-K, accession 0001193125-26-449727, November 5, 2026
Written by Action Global News from the sources above; quotations are attributed to the outlet that published them. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.
Frequently asked
How much revenue did Airbnb make in Q3 2026?
Airbnb reported $4.869 billion in third-quarter 2026 revenue, up 19% from a year earlier.
How large is Airbnb's new stock buyback?
Airbnb announced a new program to repurchase up to an additional $12 billion of stock, on top of $2.7 billion remaining as of September 30, 2026.