Expedia CEO says any quarterly reporting change won’t affect internal decisions

President Trump’s push to shift from quarterly to semiannual earnings reports is stirring controversy among business leaders. Some, however, aren’t too worried.

“I don’t think it would necessarily change the decisions that we’re making internally,” Expedia Group (EXPE) CEO Ariane Gorin told Yahoo Finance.

She added that, while quarterly earnings are an “external process,” the company is focused on creating long-term shareholder value.

Shares of Expedia are up 20% year to date and 59% in the past 12 months.

In Q2, the company posted results that beat on top and bottom lines. Revenue came in at $3.79 billion, above consensus estimates of $3.71 billion, according to Bloomberg data. Earnings per share were $4.24, topping the $3.97 forecast.

Gorin described a travel market of “ups and downs,” noting softness in US demand during Q2 but resilience among higher-income travelers.

“People still want to travel,” she said, pointing to increased traffic in July and August compared to last year. Forward bookings remain a key metric, with trends shaped by events and holidays, Gorin said.

She also described the use of AI as the company’s “third wave,” after online and mobile. AI is helping travelers plan trips, generate itineraries, and summarize hotel reviews, per Gorin.

Analysts largely agreed that Expedia’s Q2 performance shows areas of strength and challenge.

JPMorgan’s Doug Anmuth noted the company’s B2B and advertising businesses remain robust. B2B gross bookings and revenue grew 17% and 15%, respectively, while advertising revenue increased 19%.

However, consumer-facing brands like Hotels.com and Vrbo are still recovering from multiyear tech migrations, weighing on overall growth.

“We remain Neutral rated on EXPE shares as we look for signs of sustained & broad-based improvement in execution,” Anmuth wrote, setting a December 2026 price target of $225.

Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney reiterated an Outperform rating, lifting his price target to $280 from $230 after what he called a “beat and raise” quarter.

Mahaney highlighted the company’s Q3 guidance for covering bookings, revenue, and EBITDA “came in above the Street.” He also pointed to management’s raised 2025 outlook, including 3% to 5% revenue growth and slightly higher margin expansion.

Like Anmuth, Mahaney pointed to weakness in the US but emphasized international growth and the strength of Expedia’s B2B and advertising businesses.

“Northern Europe and APAC were areas of strength with Japan and Brazil seeing +20% growth, respectively,” he wrote.