The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how travel and vacation providers stocks fared in Q1, starting with United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL).

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 19 travel and vacation providers stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 4.5% above.

Luckily, travel and vacation providers stocks have performed well with share prices up 14.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL)

Founded in 1926, United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ: UAL) operates a global airline network, providing passenger and cargo air transportation services across domestic and international routes.

United Airlines reported revenues of $13.21 billion, up 5.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

"Our strategy coming out of the COVID pandemic was simple: Build the best airline in the world to attract brand-loyal customers. The people of United Airlines have executed and built that airline," said United CEO Scott Kirby.

Interestingly, the stock is up 18% since reporting and currently trades at $79.13.

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

Best Q1: 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 $179.7 million, up 17% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 18.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Lindblad Expeditions pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat, fastest revenue growth, and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 22.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $11.20.

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

Slowest Q1: 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 $1.15 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

Hilton Grand Vacations delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 21.7% since the results and currently trades at $40.90.

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

Travel + Leisure (NYSE: TNL)

Formerly known as Wyndham Destinations, Travel + Leisure (NYSE: TNL) is a global vacation company that provides travelers with vacation ownership, exchange, and travel services.

Travel + Leisure reported revenues of $934 million, up 2% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but a miss of analysts’ tours conducted estimates.

The stock is up 18.1% since reporting and currently trades at $50.36.

Read our full, actionable report on Travel + Leisure here, it’s free.

Delta (NYSE: DAL)

One of the ‘Big Four’ airlines in the US, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is a major global air carrier that serves both business and leisure travelers through its domestic and international flights.

Delta reported revenues of $14.04 billion, up 2.1% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded revenue guidance for next quarter topping analysts’ expectations but a miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 38.4% since reporting and currently trades at $49.72.

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

Market Update

As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.

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