As of early morning trading Wednesday, Trivago (NASDAQ:$TRVG) shares were down more than 23%. Prior to that, the company saw a third-quarter and full-year results report that are lower than expectations.
It is important to note Trivago’s uniqueness from other travel sites. Unlike its competitors, Trivago users don’t make their booking on the platform itself. Rather, site visitors compare offers from a selection of different hotel providers through Trivago’s search engine. In the end, if the users book something through that engine, Trivago receives a referral fee.
Based on its new understanding of performance, Trivago now speculates an annual revenue growth of around 40%, while adjusted EBITDA is now projected to come in lower than in 2016. The company also cited a slowdown in its all-important revenue per qualified referral figure for the weakened outlook.
One insider company management source stated: “the anticipated negative impact on RPQR that we discussed on our second quarter 2017 earnings call has been more significant than previously expected. As a result of this impact, we have algorithmically pulled back our performance marketing activities more than previously anticipated, which has resulted in a further slowdown in traffic and revenue growth from those channels.”
Furthermore, Trivago also experiences the headwinds of currency volatility and tough year-over-year comparisons due to exceptionally strong results last year.
What’s worse, the news of Trivago came just one day after the stocks in the travel industry were hit by Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma is a Category 5 storm currently moving through the Caribbean, wreaking havoc within the summer tourism sector.
Trivago faces a difficult incoming quarter as it sees to alleviate negative earnings estimates and investment confidence.
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