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(Reuters) - Expedia Inc reported a fourth-quarter profit below analysts' expectations, due in part to currency headwinds.
The travel services company, which recently slipped behind The Priceline Group to become the world's second largest by bookings, earned about $66.0 million (43 million pounds) last quarter, or $0.50 per diluted share.
Analysts estimated, on average, the company would earn $1.01 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The company reported about $79.4 million in foreign exchange losses on cash, its equivalents and short-term investments last quarter. Gross bookings grew 24 percent year-over-year, or 27 percent when excluding foreign exchange losses, Expedia Inc said.