The travel industry is on the rise and poised for significant expansion, driven by robust economic growth, increasing disposable income, and ease of accessibility and convenience coupled with technological advancements advancing the operations of the industry.

Amid this backdrop, investors could consider investing in fundamentally sound travel stocks Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), and Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE), set to soar with growing global demand.

With emerging travelers, the discovery of new destinations, and increased regional trips, global travel is getting back to its pre-pandemic levels. Number of trips, whether domestic or international, is rapidly surging in the ambit of leisure travel and business travel. Amid this, the travel industry is also experiencing strong spending and is likely to break previous records.

Global travel spending is anticipated to surpass the $2 trillion mark by the end of 2024. Also, the US remains the largest single travel market with $566 billion in total travel spending and will continue to retain its position through 2028.

The global travel and tourism market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3%, resulting in a market volume of $972.50 billion by the end of 2031. The market is growing significantly with trends like increasing disposable income, emerging travel trends, and easy accessibility to different destinations.

Besides, with the flourishing hospitality industry, increasing international leisure travel, and changing consumer preferences, the online travel market is expected to register a notable CAGR of 9.8%, reaching around $375.04 billion by 2029.

Given the conducive trends, investing in quality travel stocks such as BKNG, RCL, and EXPE could be wise for future gains.

Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG)

BKNG provides online and traditional travel and restaurant reservations and related services internationally. The company operates Booking.com, which offers online accommodation reservations, and Priceline, which provides online travel reservation services.

BKNG’s trailing-12-month gross profit and EBIT margins of 84.57% and 28.77% are 125.6% and 257.6% higher than the respective industry averages of 37.49% and 8.05%. Likewise, the stock’s trailing-12-month net income margin of 22.46% is significantly higher than the industry average of 4.53%.

BKNG’s total revenues for the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, increased 7.3% year-over-year to $5.86 billion. Its operating came in at $1.86 billion, up 10.9% from the year-ago quarter. The company reported adjusted net income of $1.44 billion and $41.90 per common share, reflecting increases of 3.2% and 11.4% from the prior-year quarter, respectively.

In addition, the company’s adjusted EBITDA increased 6.6% year-over-year to $1.89 billion. Also, its free cash flow stood at $4.95 billion, up 11.4% from the year-ago value.

Street expects BKNG’s revenue and EPS for the third quarter (ended September 2024) to grow 3.9% and 7% year-over-year to $7.62 billion and $77.37, respectively. Also, the company has topped the consensus revenue and EPS estimates in all of the trailing four quarters, which is impressive.

Over the past six months, BKNG’s stock has surged 23.4% and 53% over the past year to close the last trading session at $4,338.73.

BKNG’s bright prospects are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall rating of B, which translates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, each weighted to an optimal degree.

The stock has an A grade for Quality. It also has a B grade for Sentiment. Within the B-rated Internet industry, BKNG is ranked #21 out of 53 stocks.

Click here to access additional BKNG ratings for Momentum, Growth, Stability, and Value.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL)

RCL operates as a cruise company globally. The company operates cruises under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises brands, comprising of a range of itineraries. As of February 2024, the company operated 65 ships.

On September 10, Royal Caribbean International, a part of RCL, teamed up with two seasoned architectural firms to design the highly anticipated Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau, The Bahamas, which is scheduled to open in late 2025.

ArchVenture Company Ltd. and Stantec will collaborate with RCL to design and work on creating the first-of-its-kind beach club experience.

For the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, RCL’s total revenues increased 16.7% year-over-year to $4.11 billion. Its operating income grew 42.5% from the year-ago value to $1.10 billion. The company’s net income and EPS came in at $858 million and $3.11, indicating growth of 85.3% and 82.9% from the previous year’s quarter, respectively.

Additionally, the company’s adjusted EBITDA rose 32.5% from the prior year period to $1.55 billion.

As per the company’s guidance, RCL expects net yield growth of 6.5% to 7.0%, and its adjusted EPS is expected to be between $4.90 and $5.00 for the third quarter of 2024.

For the full fiscal year 2024, the company expects its net yield growth to range from 10.4% to 10.9%. It also expects adjusted EPS of $11.35 to $11.45.

Analysts expect RCL’s revenue and EPS for the third quarter (ended September 2024) to increase 17.8% and 30.8% year-over-year to $4.90 billion and $5.03, respectively. Moreover, the company topped consensus EPS estimates in all of the trailing four quarters.

Shares of RCL have gained 48.5% over the past six months and 146.2% over the past year to close the last trading session at $203.05.

RCL’s sound fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. Within the Travel - Cruises industry, RCL is ranked #3 among other stocks.

Click here to access all ratings of RCL.

Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE)

EXPE operates as an online travel company internationally. The company operates through B2C; B2B; and trivago segments. The company includes Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif Group, ebookers, CheapTickets, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com.

On July 18, EXPE entered into a partnership with Ryanair Holdings plc (RYAAY), Europe’s leading airline. The strategic collaboration allows EXPE to offer Ryanair’s low-fare flights to its travelers and enhance traveler choices and experiences. This adds value and convenience for customers and will benefit EXPE’s operations.

On May 14, EXPE unveiled the travel industry's most innovative and comprehensive 40+ new products and features, which make choosing hotels a seamless experience. The company unveiled Romie, the travel industry’s first AI assistant designed to ‘roam’ the world with, alongside 40+ new features.

The new innovations align well with EXPE’s operations and long-term vision with the leverage of the transformative power of AI to create personalized travel experiences.

For the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, EXPE’s revenue increased 6% year-over-year to $3.56 billion. Its operating income grew 1.8% year-over-year to $451 million. Adjusted net income attributable to EXPE and EPS came in at $469 million and $3.51, up 9.6% and 21.5% from the prior year’s quarter, respectively.

Furthermore, the company’s adjusted EBITDA was $786 million, indicating growth of 5.2% year-over-year.

Analysts expect EXPE’s revenue for the third quarter (ended September 2024) to increase 4.6% year-over-year to $4.11 billion and its EPS for the same quarter is expected to grow 13% year-over-year to $6.12. Furthermore, the company surpassed the consensus EPS and revenue estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.

Shares of EXPE have surged 18.2% over the past six months and 64.9% over the past year to close the last trading session at $160.45.

EXPE’s POWR Ratings reflect its bright prospects. The stock has an overall rating of B, which translates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system.

EXPE has an A grade for Quality and a B grade for Value and Growth. It is ranked #4 out of 53 stocks in the Internet industry.

In addition to the POWR Ratings we’ve stated above, we also have EXPE’s other ratings for Momentum, Stability, and Sentiment. Get all EXPE ratings here.

What To Do Next?

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BKNG shares were trading at $4,347.83 per share on Friday afternoon, up $9.10 (+0.21%). Year-to-date, BKNG has gained 23.45%, versus a 23.04% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

Rajkumari started her career as a writer but gradually shifted her focus to financial journalism, leveraging her educational background in Commerce. Fascinated by the interplay of business and economic shifts in equities, she aspires to evolve as an analyst. With a knack for simplifying complex financial concepts, her mission is to empower investors with insights that lead to profitable decisions.

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