Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Sep 24, 2026: fair value of Hostelworld Group PLC £1.11, price £1.03, upside +8.4%, quality 68 out of 100. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
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Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range £0.6007 – £1.68 · fair‑value band £0.8359 – £1.40 · the £1.03 price screens below the £1.11 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). 1 fiscal year is left out: there the valuation rested on only a fraction of the usual models. Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
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Hostelworld Group plc operates as an online travel agent focused on the hostel market worldwide. The company offers software and data processing services that facilitate hostel, bed and breakfasts, hotel, and other accommodation bookings.
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Hostelworld Group plc operates as an online travel agent focused on the hostel market worldwide. The company offers software and data processing services that facilitate hostel, bed and breakfasts, hotel, and other accommodation bookings. It also provides marketing planning services and marketing and research and development services, as well as management services. In addition, the company engages in the technology trading business. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.
Stock analysis
Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) currently trades at £1.03, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is £1.11, implying the stock looks roughly 7.7% fairly valued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the DCF Models group reads highest at a median of £1.97 per share, and 15 of the 26 models we run sit above the £1.03 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at £0.4000, and 11 of the 26 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: £0.8359 (bear) to £1.40 (bull), the price of £1.03 sits inside it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 68/100 (solid quality), in the Consumer Cyclical sector.
Mixed Growth: Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Hostelworld Group PLC reported revenue of €92.1M in FY2025 versus €16.9M in FY2021, a compound +52.8%/yr. Reported net income was €6.9M in FY2025.
Key figures
Market cap 132M GBX · P/E ratio 20.5 · P/S ratio 1.53 · EPS (TTM) £0.0500 · Dividend yield 2.0% · Net margin 7.5% · Return on equity 9.8% · Return on assets (EBIT) −2.3%.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 48 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 26% below its 52-week high and 9% above its 52-week low, currently below its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Consumer Cyclical peers we cover trades at 10% fair-value upside, at 8%, HSW screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear £0.8359Fair Value £1.11Bull £1.40
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 9 months old). Earnings retained since then (£0.0215 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.90/100
Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Revenue growth 1 year
+0.1%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+9.7%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+43.1%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: +1.0% a year
Revenue growth 13 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+4.5%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
−7.2%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year−9.2%
Dividend (yield on the price)2.0%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.−9% vs −31%, picking up
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.−327% → 13%
Start year 2020 (pandemic)
⚠ Revenue per share shrinking 1.3%/yr over ~10Y (margin trend unclear) ⓘStructural-decline marker: revenue PER SHARE has fallen over the last decade (robust median trend, not a single year). Backtested across 2005 to 2017, such businesses trailed the market by about 2.5 percentage points per year. Display only: it does not change the fair value or the quality score.
Growth Forecast
Little optimism in the price
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and less than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
−1.0%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
+10.4%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (figures in EUR, euro area: IMF forecast 2.2% a year to 2030, 2.6% from 2016 to 2025) that is about −3.1% a year for the price and +8.1% for the forecasts.
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Travel Services · 88 stocks
Beats the industry median on 6/14 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score68 · Top 25%
Fair Value upside+10% · Below median
Profitability
Return on equity (TTM)10% · Above median
Return on assets6% · Top 25%
Net margin (TTM)7% · Above median
Operating margin (TTM)16% · Top 25%
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth3% · Below median
Dividend yield (TTM)2.0% · Above median
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.13× · Above median
Valuation Multiplesvs Travel Services median · lower = cheaper
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "Hostelworld Group PLC Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/HSW
Frequently asked questions
Is Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 23, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of £1.11 versus a price of £1.03, about +8% upside (fairly valued).
What is the fair value of HSW?
Our model-based fair value for Hostelworld Group PLC is £1.11 (as of Sep 23, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: £1.03.
What is the quality score of HSW?
Hostelworld Group PLC has a Quality Score of 68/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of £1.11 (as of Sep 23, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario £0.8359, optimistic scenario £1.40. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Hostelworld Group PLC stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at £1.11, about +8% upside versus a price of £1.03 (fairly valued). Cautious scenario £0.8359, optimistic scenario £1.40. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Hostelworld Group PLC reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about €93.8M (latest available figure, as of Sep 23, 2026).
Does Hostelworld Group PLC pay a dividend?
Hostelworld Group PLC currently shows a dividend yield of about 2.02% relative to its recent price (as of Sep 23, 2026).
What growth is priced into Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Hostelworld Group PLC would have to grow free cash flow by -1.0 % per year for five years (discount rate 12.5 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +43.1 % per year. As of Sep 23, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of HSW use?
Our models discount Hostelworld Group PLC at 12.5 %: a base by market capitalisation (micro), damped by beta 0.75, country premium for United Kingdom. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Hostelworld Group PLC that is -1.0 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (12.5 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Hostelworld Group PLC grew +43.1 % a year. The price currently implies -1.0 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +2.6 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Hostelworld Group PLC (-1.0 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 11.80 %: that much free cash flow Hostelworld Group PLC produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (12.5 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Hostelworld Group PLC it is £1.11 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026), against a price of £1.03. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Hostelworld Group PLC stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 23, 2026, HSW trades below its calculated fair value: price £1.03, fair value £1.11, a gap of about +8% (fairly valued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of HSW?
No. The price is what the market pays today (£1.03); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify (£1.11). For Hostelworld Group PLC the two are £0.0860 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Hostelworld Group PLC worth?
The market values Hostelworld Group PLC at about 132M GBX (market capitalisation, as of Sep 23, 2026). Per share that is £1.03; our models calculate a fair value of £1.11 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about HSW?
Our models span a range for Hostelworld Group PLC: cautious scenario £0.8359, base £1.11, optimistic £1.40 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026, price £1.03). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of HSW?
Hostelworld Group PLC trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.5 (as of Sep 23, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of £1.11 is built from several models across several years. Other multiples: P/B 2.4, P/S 1.8, EV/EBITDA 11.8.
How solid is the balance sheet of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Balance-sheet figures for Hostelworld Group PLC (as of Sep 23, 2026): return on equity 9.8%, debt of 0.13 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 68/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is HSW from its 52-week high?
Hostelworld Group PLC trades at £1.03, about 26% below its 52-week high of £1.38 and 9% above the low of £0.9422 (as of Sep 24, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of £1.11 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Hostelworld Group PLC?
From the same area (Consumer Cyclical) we also value Booking Holdings, Airbnb, Inc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, Viking Holdings, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Hostelworld Group PLC stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 23, 2026: price £1.03, calculated fair value £1.11 (+8%), Quality Score 68/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of HSW calculated?
We run Hostelworld Group PLC through 26 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of £1.11, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 13.0 % above its aggregate fair value. Hostelworld Group PLC currently trades 8 % below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The closing price on Sep 24, 2026 was £1.03. Our model-based fair value is £1.11, about +8% upside (fairly valued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Hostelworld Group PLC right now?
The price sits close to our fair value, market and models broadly agree here, little valuation tension. The price sits in the lower half of our model range, the side with the larger margin of safety. The data supports the verdict: every model runs on fully documented inputs.
Key figures of Hostelworld Group PLC
How large is the market capitalisation of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The market capitalisation of Hostelworld Group PLC is 132M GBX. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Hostelworld Group PLC is 1.53 (P/E × margin). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Earnings per share at Hostelworld Group PLC are £0.0500 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 20.5). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The dividend yield of Hostelworld Group PLC is 2.0% (payout 41.5%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The net margin of Hostelworld Group PLC is 7.5% (fiscal year 2025). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Hostelworld Group PLC is 9.8% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Hostelworld Group PLC is −2.3% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
The operating margin of Hostelworld Group PLC is 15.5% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Revenue at Hostelworld Group PLC is growing +3.3% versus a year earlier (3y avg +9.7%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW)?
Earnings per share at Hostelworld Group PLC are growing −8.2% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Hostelworld Group PLC (HSW) carry?
The net debt of Hostelworld Group PLC is €2.5M (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 0.1 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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