TripAdvisor Q4 Profit Misses Street, Shares Down

(RTTNews) - TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) Tuesday reported a profit for the fourth quarter that fell short of Wall Street estimates, sending its shares down over 5% extended trading session.

The company reported fourth-quarter profit of $7 million or $0.05 per share compared to last year's loss of $84 million or $0.60 per share.

Adjusted earnings for the quarter rose to $0.27 per share from $0.06 per share last year. On average, 25 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimate earnings of $0.29 per share for the quarter.

Total revenues grew 8% to $346 million from $321 million. Analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $342.69 million for the quarter.

"Our solid Q4 capped a very strong 2018," said Chief Executive Officer Steve Kaufer. "We reinvigorated Hotel segment profitability, reinforced our leading positions in Experiences and Restaurants and laid important groundwork for future growth. We are pleased with our progress and will continue to balance growth and margin to deliver maximum shareholder value."

CFO Ernst Teunissen added, "We are very pleased with our strong Q4 and full year 2018 results. We expect double-digit consolidated adjusted EBITDA growth in 2019, with differentiated revenue and profit focus by segment."

TRIP closed Tuesday's trading at $60.39, up $0.85 or 1.43%, on the Nasdaq. The stock, however, slipped $3.33 or 5.51% in the after-hours.