Good quarter for Wyndham

Article Excerpt

WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $68.94 (New York symbol WYN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (973-753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 116.1 million; Market cap: $7.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%) is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with 7,800 franchised hotels worldwide. It also manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and timeshares. The company has 112,000 vacation-rental properties in 100 countries. In the three months ended December 31, 2015, Wyndham’s revenue rose 6.5%, to $1.31 billion from $1.23 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 8.9% before onetime items, to $0.98 from $0.90. The company is raising its quarterly dividend by 19.0%, to $0.50 from $0.42. The stock now yields 2.5%. Wyndham continues to grow quickly, including by acquiring resorts and hotels. However, its recent purchases have increased its goodwill and other intangible assets to $2.7 billion, or 37% of its market cap. That leaves Wyndham vulnerable to writedowns if demand for vacation travel falls suddenly. Wyndham Worldwide is still a hold. hold. …