Summary
Booking Holdings Inc. (formerly The Priceline Group Inc.) reported solid financial results for the first quarter of 2015, demonstrating continued growth driven by its international operations, particularly Booking.com. Total revenues increased by 12.1% year-over-year to $1.84 billion, with agency revenues showing strong growth of 15.2%. Merchant revenues saw a decline of 6.1%, largely due to a shift away from the priceline.com Name Your Own Price® model towards net revenue recognition models. Gross profit increased by a robust 18.9% to $1.67 billion, with gross margin improving significantly to 90.8% from 85.7% in the prior year, reflecting the favorable revenue mix shift and a decrease in cost of revenues. The company maintained a strong liquidity position with $9.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments, while also actively engaging in share repurchases and issuing new debt.
Financial Highlights
53 data points| Revenue | $1.84B |
| Cost of Revenue | $168.46M |
| Gross Profit | $1.67B |
| Operating Expenses | $1.24B |
| Operating Income | $433.97M |
| Interest Expense | $33.48M |
| Net Income | $333.33M |
| EPS (Basic) | $6.42 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $6.36 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 51.91M |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 52.41M |
Key Highlights
- 1Total revenues increased by 12.1% to $1.84 billion, primarily driven by strong performance in agency revenues.
- 2Gross profit grew by 18.9% to $1.67 billion, and gross margin expanded to 90.8%, indicating improved profitability due to a favorable revenue mix and cost management.
- 3International operations continue to be the primary growth engine, with international gross bookings increasing by 13.7% (29% on a constant currency basis).
- 4Accommodation room night reservations saw significant growth of 25.4%, highlighting the continued strength in the core accommodation booking business.
- 5The company reported a net income of $333.3 million, with diluted EPS of $6.36, representing slight growth compared to the prior year.
- 6Significant increase in advertising expenses (23.5% for online) reflects ongoing investment in brand awareness and customer acquisition.
- 7The company ended the quarter with a strong liquidity position, holding $9.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments.