Sources say Airbnb doubles revenue to $1B

Airbnb doubled net revenue in the third quarter and remains on a profitability streak, as the business builds toward an initial public offering expected next year, according to people familiar with its financial results.

The home-rental company has maintained a steady profit before interest, taxes and amortization for at least 17 months, said the people, who asked not to be identified, in discussing the private company’s earnings. In the quarter that ended in September, Airbnb pulled in about $1 billion, up from $500 million in the same period last year, one of the people said.

Morgan Stanley raised concerns about Airbnb’s growth last week. A report from the firm said the frequency of bookings slowed, based on an online survey of 4,000 customers from the U.S., U.K., France and Germany.

The survey didn’t include Latin America and Asia. Airbnb’s growth in those two regions has put the company on track to end this year with 60 percent more bookings than last year, two people said.

Profitability and revenue growth are important metrics for the nineyear-old travel upstart, which is under pressure to justify its private valuation of $31 billion. Airbnb first became profitable during the second half of 2016. Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky has said his company would be ready to file for an IPO next year.

In addition to expanding globally, the San Francisco-based company is experimenting with new product categories like luxury accommodations, Airbnb-branded apartment buildings and guided tours.