As the Q2 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the travel and vacation providers industry, including Marriott Vacations (NYSE: VAC) and its peers.

Airlines, hotels, resorts, and cruise line companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted from buying "things" (wasteful) to buying "experiences" (memorable). In addition, the internet has introduced new ways of approaching leisure and lodging such as booking homes and longer-term accommodations. Traditional airlines, hotel, resorts, and cruise line companies must innovate to stay relevant in a market rife with innovation.

The 18 travel and vacation providers stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.6% on average since the latest earnings results.

Marriott Vacations (NYSE: VAC)

Spun off from Marriott International in 1984, Marriott Vacations (NYSE: VAC) is a vacation company providing leisure experiences for travelers around the world.

Marriott Vacations reported revenues of $1.25 billion, up 9.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

“We delivered strong results in the quarter driving higher year-over-year first time buyer sales and reiterating our full year guidance, reflecting the resilience of our business model and the hard work of our associates,” said John Geller, president and chief executive officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 2.5% since reporting and currently trades at $76.37.

Is now the time to buy Marriott Vacations? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: Pursuit (NYSE: PRSU)

With attractions ranging from glacier tours in the Canadian Rockies to an oceanfront geothermal lagoon in Iceland, Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality (NYSE: PRSU) operates iconic travel experiences, experiential marketing services, and exhibition management across North America and Europe.

Pursuit reported revenues of $116.7 million, down 69.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.9%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 20.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $36.16.

Is now the time to buy Pursuit? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Hilton Grand Vacations (NYSE: HGV)

Spun off from Hilton Worldwide in 2017, Hilton Grand Vacations (NYSE: HGV) is a global timeshare company that provides travel experiences for its customers through its timeshare resorts and club membership programs.

Hilton Grand Vacations reported revenues of $1.27 billion, up 2.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 8.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Hilton Grand Vacations delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 10.6% since the results and currently trades at $45.39.

Read our full analysis of Hilton Grand Vacations’s results here.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH)

With amenities like a full go-kart race track built into its ships, Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH) is a premier global cruise company.

Norwegian Cruise Line reported revenues of $2.52 billion, up 6.1% year on year. This result came in 1.7% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company.

The stock is up 8.2% since reporting and currently trades at $25.34.

Read our full, actionable report on Norwegian Cruise Line here, it’s free.

Wyndham (NYSE: WH)

Established in 1981, Wyndham (NYSE: WH) is a global hotel franchising company with over 9,000 hotels across nearly 95 countries on six continents.

Wyndham reported revenues of $397 million, up 8.2% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Taking a step back, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is down 2.2% since reporting and currently trades at $84.22.

Read our full, actionable report on Wyndham here, it’s free.

Market Update

In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.

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