Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ: LIND) and the best and worst performers in the travel and vacation providers industry.

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.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 7.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ: LIND)

Founded by explorer Sven-Olof Lindblad in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ: LIND) offers cruising experiences to remote destinations in partnership with National Geographic.

Lindblad Expeditions reported revenues of $167.9 million, up 23% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 5.6%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Natalya Leahy, Chief Executive Officer, said "I'm incredibly proud of the team's accomplishments this quarter. We delivered 23% revenue growth, achieved 86% occupancy on a 5% increase in capacity, and drove a 139% increase in Adjusted EBITDA. These results reflect strong momentum behind our strategic initiatives. We remain focused on unlocking meaningful value through continued revenue growth and disciplined cost innovation, and we are confident in the direction we're heading."

Lindblad Expeditions scored the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest full-year guidance update of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 26.3% since reporting and currently trades at $14.83.

Is now the time to buy Lindblad Expeditions? 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 24% since reporting. It currently trades at $37.25.

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 a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Hilton Grand Vacations delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 6% since the results and currently trades at $47.74.

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

Hilton (NYSE: HLT)

Founded in 1919, Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a global hospitality company with a portfolio of hotel brands.

Hilton reported revenues of $3.14 billion, up 6.3% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $276.30.

Read our full, actionable report on Hilton 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 result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 1.7% since reporting and currently trades at $87.57.

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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