Mississippi

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.

-Stock market saw gains: DJIA up 247, Nasdaq up 127, S&P 500 up 29. Various hotel reopenings and renovations, including The Hadsten Solvang and The Woodlands Resort. New hotel projects and expansions, such as Deer Valley Resort and Canopy by Hilton Cannes.

Xenia Hotels & Resorts reported an in-line to a modest miss result and narrowed guidance. They repurchased common stock in the quarter. Chatham Lodging Trust had a 5% increase in RevPAR year over year and a 5% AFFO rise, with RevPAR down less than -2% from 2019. Several hotels announced new openings, acquisitions, and rebranding, including Omni Hotels & Resorts , Sonesta , Braintree Group , Elise Capital , Hyatt Hotels Corporation , and DiamondRock Hospitality Company .

Hilton and Marriott are expected to report strong 2Q23 results with international strength as a key driver. Various hotels in different regions are undergoing significant expansions, renovations, and acquisitions, with Hilton announcing a new property in Cancun and Scandic Hotels Group expanding its portfolio in Sweden . Accor is in exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Potel & Chabot, potentially becoming the sole shareholder of the company.

Stock market performance: DJIA was up 86 points, Nasdaq up 158 points, and S&P 500 rose 33 points, while lodging stocks mostly declined. Wells Fargo raised target prices on lodging stocks, including RHP, APLE, HST , and DHR , maintaining their ratings. Various hotels underwent renovations, including Courtyard Louisville Airport and Chancellor's House Hotel , while new hotels were announced, such as the Hampton Inn & Suites in Pittsburgh and Riversuites in Philadelphia.

Last week BP plc completed the acquisition of TravelCenter of America Inc . Service Properties Trust received $379.3 million in cash as part of the transaction. Sonder Holdings was cut to Perform from Outperform by Oppenheimer and InterContinental Hotels Group was upgraded to Neutral from Sell by Redburn. The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index rose 1.4% in April from March. The Hotel Brand sub-index rose 2.5% from March while the Hotel REIT sub-index was down -2.6%.

InterContinental Hotels Group announced Keith Barr has informed the Board of his decision to step down from his role as Group Chief Executive Officer and from the IHG Board. Playa Hotels & Resorts reported a 1Q beat and repurchased 5 million shares for $42.6 million in 1Q as well as another 2.1 million shares for $20 million in April. During Q1 2023, RevPAR grew 13% compared to 2019 , fueled by higher ADR and growth in business and group demand as well as strong leisure travel, according to JLL’s latest U.S. Hotel Investment Trends report.

Truist gave their 1Q lodging earnings preview . While they continue to see macro over micro with the main driver/wildcard coming from the economic impact of high interest rates and inflation, at a minimum they expect results to be in-line but more likely ahead. The Kayak Miami Beach hotel could be seized in a $13.68 million foreclosure lawsuit. The ART Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton announced the completion of its $3 million property-wide refresh to its 165 rooms and suites, 7,500 square feet of flexible meeting and event spaces, fitness center, private dining and public spaces.

The DJIA rose 208 points while Nasdaq was down 203, the S&P 500 fell 46 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .02 to 3.65%. STR reported US lodging RevPAR for the week ended February 4. RevPAR was up 26.6% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was up 6.1%. Three historic buildings in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio will soon become a hotel when combined with a newly built seven-story tower.

BofA Securities initiated coverage on Marriott Vacations with a Neutral rating and a $180 price target. The Wall Street Journal published an article on how hotel companies are stepping up efforts to lure competitors’ hotels to their own brands. The article referenced Hilton’s new Spark by Hilton brand. We had heard those concerns about upcoming maturities from Service Properties Trust when we were positive about their resumption of the previous dividend, giving them an 11% yield at the time.