Airbnb plans public listing in 2020
FILE PHOTO: The logos of Airbnb are displayed at an Airbnb event in Tokyo, Japan, June 14, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo(Reuters) – Home rentals giant Airbnb said it plans to list on stock exchanges in 2020, making it one of the most high-profile market debuts next year. (bit.ly/2mqasWw) In a short statement posted on its website on Thursday, Airbnb, which is widely expected to list through a direct listing, did not give any details about how it plans to list its shares. On Wednesday, Airbnb said that it took in more than $1 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2019. Reuters had reported in June that Airbnb was considering a direct listing. This year marked the debuts of several high-profile IPOs including Uber and Lyft Inc, but the companies have fared poorly after their launch, amid investor skepticism over their lack of a concrete plan to profitability. WeWork owner The We Company has also postponed its initial public offering, walking away from preparations to launch it this month after a lackluster response from investors. Airbnb has not given any details on whether it was profitable in the second quarter of 2019, but has previously said that its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization was positive for 2017 and 2018. The recent lackluster stock-market debuts of richly venture-funded start-ups have prompted experts to point out that investors' patience with deeply unprofitable internet ventures may be wearing thin. Reporting by Anirban Sen; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.