RIU Hotels & Resorts

DJIA gained 213 points, Nasdaq increased by 114 points, and S&P 500 rose 28 points; 10-year treasury yield decreased by 0.03 to 4.21%. Lodging stocks surged on Hersha Hospitality buyout news, particularly REITs: HT up 56%, BHR up 16%, AHT up 10%, others up 6% each, while AINC traded down -9%. Hersha Hospitality Trust and KSL Capital Partners will merge in an all-cash deal worth $1.4 billion, where common shareholders receive $10.00 per share and preferred shareholders receive varying amounts based on their holdings. The merger aims to close in Q4 2023, leading to a rally in hotel REIT stocks. Major US and Chinese hotel groups have strengthened post-pandemic, while Europe lags behind. Marriott, Jin Jiang, and Hilton lead the world hotel ranking, with only one European representative (Accor). US has six companies in top 10, China has three, and Spanish companies see shifts in their rankings.

Hotels are increasingly charging for early or late checkouts, impacting both regular guests and loyalty program elites. This comes alongside a 1.8% rise in US hotel RevPAR and a 3.1% increase in Group RevPAR. Waramaug Hospitality acquires Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners with 222 rooms and versatile meeting spaces. SpringHill Suites by Marriott open in Delaware, Scottsdale, and Lansing. Oyo Hotel in St. Louis undergoes a $46 million renovation to become a Sheraton, introducing Bonvoy Apartments. Leading Hotels of the World adds four member hotels: The Adria (London), Azur Legacy Collection Hotel (Vancouver), Chedi Katara Hotel (Qatar), and Aleenta Retreat (Chiang Mai). These properties offer unique amenities, including a tranquil spa, rooftop dining, private beaches, and repurposed Thai dwellings.

The earnings parade continues with REITs dominating the past 24 hours. PebbleBrook Hotel Trust reported 4Q results that matched their pre-announcement but gave 1Q guidance that was softer than expected. Sunstone Hotel Investors results came in slightly ahead for 4Q with an extra $10 million insurance gain also put in there. Park Hotels reported strong results even with San Francisco continued weakness. PK said group revenue is back to 83% of pre-pandemic levels.

EF Hutton initiated coverage on Selina Hospitality with a Buy rating and $6.50 price target. STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 12/24. RevPAR was down -0.2% year over year while down -7.6% versus the same week in 2019. Bluegreen Vacation Holdings said they had a total of 3,040,882 shares of Class A Common Stock tendered in their cash tender offer to purchase up to 4.5 million common shares at $25 per share.

Truist gave their observations on the latest forward-looking booking and pricing trends for US hotels and checks with contacts. STR’s global “bubble chart” update through November 19, 2022 showed the strongest performance of the year thus far. The U.S. Travel Association’s latest biannual travel forecast shows a downgrade in international inbound travel for the remainder of this year and for 2023.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust reported sold 3Q22 earnings, but since they give monthly updates and pre-announced, there was no surprise. While lodging stocks were higher, the action in Selina on Friday was just as ridiculous as on Thursday but in the other direction. While Travel + Leisure’s stock price rebounded a little bit after Thursday’s earnings-induced decline, Credit Suisse lowered the boom on them.

Lodging stocks were mixed. AINC was up 5% while the biggest mover was to the downside with VCSA falling -14%. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Airbnb to $105 from $125. MS maintained their Equal Weight rating. Xenia Hotels & Resorts sold the 115-room Celebration Hotel to Vision Hospitality Group .

In a very wild session with a 1500-point swing, the DJIA ended the day up 827 points while Nasdaq was up 249, the S&P 500 rose 98, the 10-year treasury yield was up .05 to 3.95% and lodging stocks were higher. In an excerpt from CoStar , the transition from the summer to fall travel seasons has been different than in the past years, according to some U.S. hoteliers, who are adjusting strategies for selling hotel rooms to meet the new demand. Hotel Equities announced the reopening of the Courtyard by Marriott in Mobile, AL.

Bernstein  initiated coverage on  Airbnb  with an Outperform rating and $143 price target. B of A Securities  cut their rating on Membership Collective to Underperform from Buy. They lowered their price target to $4 from $12. Service Properties Trust  announced it amended the agreement governing its revolving credit facility and exercised its option to extend its maturity date to July 2023.