Goldman Sachs has initiated coverage on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) with a Buy rating, setting a price target of $96.00.
The firm highlighted the improved economic conditions and the company's revised full-year 2024 revenue per available room (RevPAR) guidance as key factors.
The reassessment of Wyndham's financial outlook suggests that risks for the second half of the year have been mitigated, potentially offering a more stable period for the hotel operator's stock.
The coverage notes that despite earlier concerns over a weaker U.S. economy impacting RevPAR, recent data indicates sequential improvements, particularly within the economy chainscale segment.
The observation is backed by Wyndham's performance, which has shown resilience in the face of economic headwinds.
Goldman Sachs projects that Wyndham's room growth will accelerate from 3.5% in 2023 to approximately 4% in the years 2024 and 2025. This growth is expected to outpace historical rates and is attributed to factors such as ECHO developments, enhanced franchisee retention, and expansion in international markets.
Additionally, the firm anticipates that Wyndham will benefit from incremental EBITDA growth drivers, including the ECHO development program and additional fee streams. Despite current Street estimates being approximately 7% below the company's guidance for 2025, Goldman Sachs sees an upside opportunity for Wyndham.
In other recent news, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has been making significant strides. Stifel, a financial services firm, recently upgraded its price target for Wyndham Hotels from $89 to $91, maintaining a Buy rating. This adjustment comes following the hotel chain's record growth in its development pipeline, which includes nearly 2,000 hotels and a record 245,000 rooms.
Wyndham's recent financial performance has been promising, with an anticipated free cash flow conversion range of around 60% for 2024. The company continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.38, yielding 1.9%. Wyndham also reported a solid performance in Q2 of 2024, with a 6% increase in adjusted EBITDA and a 12% rise in earnings per share.
In addition, the company's development team signed 33% more deals than the previous year, contributing to the record global development pipeline.
Wyndham's outlook for 2024 includes projections for flat year-over-year RevPAR growth and fee-related revenues expected to reach between $1.41 billion and $1.43 billion. Adjusted net income is forecasted to increase from $338 million to $348 million, with adjusted diluted EPS projected to be in the range of $4.20 to $4.32.
InvestingPro Insights
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' (NYSE:WH) strategic initiatives and financial performance reflect a company that is navigating the hospitality industry's challenges with strength. The InvestingPro data underscores this narrative, showing a robust gross profit margin of 68.08% for the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, which aligns with the company's resilience mentioned by Goldman Sachs. Furthermore, the company's commitment to shareholder returns is evident, with a dividend yield of 1.94% and a remarkable 8.57% dividend growth over the same period.
InvestingPro Tips for Wyndham highlight that management's confidence in the company is demonstrated through aggressive share buybacks and a consistent rise in dividends for three consecutive years. These actions signal a belief in long-term value creation. Additionally, analysts predict that Wyndham will be profitable this year, which could further buoy investor confidence. For those seeking more in-depth analysis, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available at https://www.investing.com/pro/WH.
With a market capitalization of $6.18 billion and a forward P/E ratio of 20.27, Wyndham is trading at a premium, reflected in its high Price / Book multiple of 9.92. Yet, the company's stock price is hovering near its 52-week high, showing investor optimism about its prospects. These metrics, coupled with the insights from Goldman Sachs, paint a picture of a company that is not only growing but also rewarding its investors.
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