** Wedbush lowers price targets on online travel companies on risks from exposure to AI-enabled disintermediation
** Brokerage says while booking windows have started to extend and consumers are reporting longer lengths of stay, AI could hurt long-term business for intermediaries like Airbnb ABNB.O, Booking Holdings BKNG.O, Expedia Group EXPE.O and Tripadvisor TRIP.O
** Adds that Expedia is most exposed to disintermediation given the company's relative exposure to a concentrated supply of hotel and accommodation chains
** Says it expects Airbnb to be the least exposed to displacement given co's fragmentation of its host and supply base
** Wedbush says it is most positive on BKNG as co's geographic diversification limits exposure to pockets of softness or a weaker consumer
** Following are the new PTs:
Company | New PT | Old PT |
Airbnb ABNB.O | $130 | $135 |
Tripadvisor TRIP.O | $15 | $18 |
Booking Holdings BKNG.O | $5500 | $6000 |
Expedia EXPE.O | $260 | $290 |
(Reporting by Parth Chandna)
((Parth.Chandna@thomsonreuters.com;))
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