Exclusive: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs poised to lead Airbnb's listing - sources

By Joshua Franklin and Anirban Sen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Short-term home rental company Airbnb Inc is set to hire Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) as joint lead advisers on its planned stock market flotation next year, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The appointments would represent another high-profile assignment for the storied investment banks, albeit potentially less lucrative than usual. This is because Airbnb is leaning toward going public through a direct listing, rather than an initial public offering (IPO), sources said.

In an IPO, shares are managed by the company or held by its ...