Market leader in opaque travel services, and Good cash cushion. Intense competitive pressure, Some supplier concentration, and Aggressive acquisition growth strategy. The ratings on Norwalk, Conn.-based online travel agency Priceline.com Inc. reflect the highly competitive online travel agency market, some supplier concentrations in airlines and hotels, relatively low profit margins even with recent years' improvement, and decreased incentive fees from global distribution systems. These factors are partially offset by the company's good competitive position in the European online travel market, its market-leading "name-your-own-price" bid-based business, and positive discretionary cash flow. Priceline.com's strong operating performance is driven by the company's European operations, mainly on the hotel side. Through Booking.com, the company's hotel-booking engine in Europe, Priceline.com has established an early footprint
