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Airbnb faces regulatory hurdles that management must attempt to overcome.
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The company benefits from significant demographic tailwinds.
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Airbnb is a cash-flow machine and a great stock to own.
The travel industry is a lucrative but tricky realm in which to do business. This is especially true when it comes to short-term rentals. Navigating local regulations and international expansion while satisfying thousands of hosts and even more guests are a few of the daunting challenges faced by Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB), one of the leaders in the space.
Its management is working to increase its cooperation with localities and promote what it views as commonsense regulations while maintaining its ability to operate freely. Still, in some major markets, such as Hawaii, New York City, and Paris, local and state governments have imposed stringent restrictions on how short-term rentals can be operated. Many homeowners’ associations also have rules that are unfriendly to owners who want to turn their properties into short-term rentals. However, the news isn’t all bad for Airbnb.
The market it operates in is massive and continues to grow. There are also demographic tailwinds, as younger generations tend to gravitate toward Airbnbs more than their parents. Short-term rentals (labelled vacation rentals on the chart below) make up a significant portion of a market that is forecast to exceed $1.1 trillion by 2029.
What does this mean for Airbnb? Cash, and lots of it.
Airbnb is just a software platform at its core. There is also a customer service element. However, companies in this industry lack the factories, expensive equipment, and other major infrastructure that many other industries have. Property and equipment purchases are often referred to as capex (short for capital expenditures) and reduce the amount of cash a company can keep. Free cash flow is one reason why software companies, such as CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) and Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR), often trade at higher valuations than companies in other industries.
For instance, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), a semiconductor designer and manufacturer, spent $5.2 billion on capex in its most recent quarter, a whopping 40% of its revenue. Airbnb spent just $14 million last quarter on capex, less than 1% of its revenue. Meanwhile, its free cash flow — the amount that’s left over after operating expenses and capital expenditures — has soared.
The $4.4 billion shown above is 40% of revenue over the same period. A 40% free cash flow margin is an incredible figure and bodes well for shareholders.