Airbnb Inc. (ABNB) is becoming "an increasingly attractive brand monetization story," according to RBC Capital Markets. And the reason might surprise you: it's all about data.

The Upgrade Details: Analyst Brad Erickson bumped Airbnb up from Sector Perform to Outperform, while hiking the price target from $145 to $170.

Why It Matters: The company sits on a goldmine of first-party data about travel preferences, booking behavior, and consumer spending patterns. In "the evolving consumer AI landscape," that kind of proprietary information could be worth a premium, Erickson noted in his upgrade.

The analyst laid out four compelling reasons for the upbeat outlook:

• The hotel market represents a $700 billion-plus opportunity, and it opens doors to promoted listings. Other marketplaces have driven "multiple hundreds of bps of take rate uplift" through similar strategies.
• Airbnb is tackling two major customer frustrations: hefty upfront deposits and inflexible cancellation policies. Progress here could remove friction that's been holding growth back.
• The company's "great brand" provides a natural defense against AI-driven traffic acquisition and the emerging agentic web, where AI assistants might shop around on behalf of users.
• Upcoming events like the World Cup and Milan Olympics should deliver "a small tailwind" to bookings.

The Numbers: Airbnb shares climbed 2.14% to $134.84 on Wednesday, according to market data.

With a market cap of $83.78 billion, Airbnb stands as a major force in the consumer discretionary sector, especially within hotels and leisure. The current P/E ratio of 31.43 points to a premium valuation compared to historical norms, suggesting investors are betting on continued growth. The stock is trading closer to its 52-week high of $163.93 than its low.