How Booking Sites Performed on Stock Markets in 2013
Skift Take
It was a great year on the stock markets in 2013 for online travel agencies as a whole. Their businesses are increasingly global, and many are benefiting from expansion into developing markets and boosting their hotel products.
Priceline deservedly got most of the attention among online travel agencies in 2013 as its share price shattered the historic $1,000 mark in September and closed the year up 78.1% at $1,162.40.
But, leapfrogging-bragging rights for the year goes to lowly Orbitz Worldwide, which closed out the year with its stock price increasing 149.3% to $7.18.
Orbitz has a long way to go: Priceline's shares could lose $7.18 in a day without breaking a sweat.
Orbitz made some strides in 2013, shifting some of its revenue mix toward hotels, notching some private-label wins and patching up one of its brands in Australia, but its room-night growth was lackluster and its sales targets for 2014 are sub-par.
Orbitz Worldwide, NYSE
January 4, 2013 opens at $2.88
December 31, 2013 closes at $7
