Press Release: American Express Global Business Travel Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results

Dow Jones
Yesterday

Reiterated Full-Year 2026 Guidance for Revenue Growth of 19% to 21% and $615 Million to $645 Million in Adjusted EBITDA

Doubled Share Buyback Authorization to $600 Million

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 09, 2026-- 

American Express Global Business Travel ("Amex GBT" or the "Company") $(GBTG)$, a leading technology and services company for travel, expense, and meetings & events today reported fourth quarter and full-year 2025 financial results.

Fourth Quarter & Full-Year 2025 Financial Summary

 
                                      YOY Increase                           YOY Increase 
                 Three Months Ended   / (Decrease)         Year Ended        / (Decrease) 
                    December 31,                          December 31, 
(in millions, 
except 
percentages; 
unaudited)        2025       2024                       2025        2024 
Revenue         $792       $591        34%           $2,718      $2,423       12% 
Total 
 operating 
 expenses       $763       $561        36%           $2,588      $2,308       12% 
Gross Profit    $431       $337        29%           $1,562      $1,397       12% 
Gross Profit 
 Margin           55%        57%           (243)bps      57%         58%           (15)bps 
Net income 
 (loss)         $ 83       $(14)      n/m            $  111      $ (134)     182% 
Net income 
 (loss) 
 margin           10%        (3)%     n/m                 4%         (6)%    n/m 
Adjusted 
 EBITDA         $130       $110        17%           $  532      $  478       11% 
Adjusted 
 EBITDA 
 Margin           16%        19%           (233)bps      20%         20%           (17)bps 
Net cash 
 provided by 
 operating 
 activities     $ 52       $ 65       (23)%          $  233      $  272      (15)% 
Free Cash Flow  $ 13       $ 33       (66)%          $  104      $  165      (37)% 
Net Debt / LTM                                             1.9x        1.8x 
 Adjusted 
 EBITDA 
N/m = not meaningful. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most 
comparable GAAP measure is provided at the end of this release. 
 
 
 Paul Abbott | Chief Executive Officer "We delivered strong financial results 
  in 2025 and expect even greater momentum in 2026. We are executing on our 
growth strategy, including share gains, our strategic alliance with SAP Concur 
  and the successful closing of the CWT acquisition. We have now reached an 
     inflection point for AI to accelerate value creation in three ways: 
revolutionize the customer experience, power the agentic transformation of B2B 
   travel and reduce operating costs. We have strong conviction that our AI 
    strategy provides significant upside and doubled our share repurchase 
                authorization to demonstrate our confidence." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
 
Karen Williams | Chief Financial Officer "We reported double-digit revenue and 
 Adjusted EBITDA growth in 2025, executed accretive M&A, refinanced our debt 
    and doubled our share repurchase authorization to deploy capital in a 
  disciplined, value-accretive manner. With our CWT synergies and AI-powered 
 cost savings, we believe we have a significant cost optimization opportunity 
       that will drive material margin expansion over the medium term." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 

Business Highlights

   --  Strong financial results. Q4 and FY'25 results in line with 
      expectations and reiterated FY'26 guidance for 19% to 21% revenue growth 
      and $615 million to $645 million in Adjusted EBITDA. 
 
   --  Continued share gains. Total New Wins Value of $3.3 billion and 96% 
      customer retention rate in 2025, excluding CWT. 
 
   --  Delivering on growth strategy. Launched "Complete," a new flagship 
      solution for travel and expense, in partnership with SAP Concur. 
      Launching next-gen Egencia in April with new AI features and user 
      experience and full integration to SAP Concur expense. Closed 
      transformative CWT acquisition in September 2025. 
 
   --  AI is powering further growth and value creation. Leveraging AI to 1) 
      revolutionize the customer experience, 2) power the agentic 
      transformation of B2B travel and 3) reduce operating costs. 
 
   --  Doubled share repurchase authorization to $600 million. Reflects 
      confidence in ability to deliver growth, AI-enabled product innovation, 
      margin expansion and cash generation while maintaining a strong balance 
      sheet and delivering attractive capital returns to shareholders. 

Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights

(Changes compared to prior year period unless otherwise noted)

   --  Revenue of $792 million increased 34%. Within this, Travel Revenue 
      increased 36% due to Transaction Growth of 37% and TTV growth of 45%, 
      both driven by the acquisition of CWT, business travel demand and share 
      gains. Product and Professional Services Revenue increased 27%. Excluding 
      the impact of CWT, revenue growth was 8%. 
 
   --  Total operating expenses of $763 million increased 36%, primarily due 
      to the consolidation of CWT, Transaction Growth which resulted in 
      increased cost of revenue, increased investments in technology and 
      content and sales and marketing costs, partially offset by $37 million of 
      cost transformation benefits and $5 million of CWT synergies. 
      Additionally, there were higher restructuring and integration costs 
      related to cost transformation and CWT synergies and higher depreciation 
      and amortization. 
 
   --  Net income of $83 million improved by $97 million, primarily due to 
      fair value movements on earnout derivative liabilities and gain on 
      remeasurement of previously held equity interest. 
 
   --  Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $52 million, a 
      decrease of 23%, primarily due to net working capital usage and increased 
      cash restructuring costs primarily related to CWT synergies, partially 
      offset by stronger profitability. 
 
   --  Free Cash Flow totaled $13 million, a decrease of 66%, due to lower net 
      cash from operating activities and increased purchase of property and 
      equipment primarily due to capitalized technology investments. 

Full-Year 2025 Financial Highlights

(Changes compared to prior year period unless otherwise noted)

   --  Revenue of $2,718 million increased 12%. Within this, Travel Revenue 
      increased 12% due to Transaction Growth of 14% and TTV growth of 17%, 
      both driven by the acquisition of CWT, business travel demand and share 
      gains. Product and Professional Services Revenue increased 15%. 
 
   --  Total operating expenses of $2,588 million increased 12%, primarily due 
      to the consolidation of CWT, Transaction Growth which resulted in 
      increased cost of revenue, increased investments in technology and 
      content and sales and marketing costs, partially offset by $103 million 
      of cost transformation benefits and $5 million of CWT synergies. 
      Additionally, there were higher restructuring costs related to cost 
      transformation and CWT synergies and higher depreciation and 
      amortization. 
 
   --  Net income of $111 million improved by $245 million, primarily due to 
      increased operating income, gain on remeasurement of previously held 
      equity interest, fair value movements on earnout derivative liabilities, 
      loss on extinguishment of debt in the prior year period and lower 
      interest expense. 
 
   --  Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $233 million, a 
      decrease of 15%, primarily due to the non-recurrence of a prior year 
      benefit from Egencia net working capital optimization, higher cash taxes 
      and higher cash M&A costs related to CWT, partially offset by higher 
      operating income and cash inflows from termination of interest rate swap 
      contracts. 
 
   --  Free Cash Flow totaled $104 million, a decrease of 37%, due to lower 
      net cash from operating activities primarily related to CWT and increased 
      purchase of property and equipment primarily due to capitalized 
      technology investments. 

Reiterated Full-Year 2026 Guidance

 
                         Full-Year 2026 Guidance      Year-over-Year Growth 
Revenue                     $3.235B -- $3.295B             + 19% -- 21% 
Adjusted EBITDA               $615M -- $645M               + 16% -- 21% 
Free Cash Flow                $125M -- $155M              + 20% -- $49% 
Please refer to the section below titled "Reconciliation of Full-Year 2026 
Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Guidance" for a description of certain 
assumptions and risks associated with this guidance and reconciliation to GAAP 
measures. 
 

Amex GBT will host its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 investor conference call today at 9:00 a.m. E.T. The live webcast and accompanying slide presentation can be accessed on the Amex GBT Investor Relations website at investors.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com. A replay of the event will be available on the website for at least 90 days following the event.

Glossary of Terms

See the "Glossary of Terms" for the definitions of certain terms used within this press release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company refers to certain financial measures that are not recognized under GAAP in this press release, including EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Gross Profit, Free Cash Flow and Net Debt. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for an explanation of these non-GAAP financial measures and "Tabular Reconciliations for Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measures.

About American Express Global Business Travel

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

March 09, 2026 07:45 ET (11:45 GMT)

At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10