Wyndham taps a younger market

Article Excerpt

WYNDHAM DESTINATIONS INC. $49.49 is a buy. Through the stock (New Yorksymbol WYND; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk)(www.wyndhamdestinations.com; Shares outstanding: 85.7 million; Market cap: $4.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.5%) investors tap the world’s largest vacation-ownership and exchange company. It operates 230 timeshare resorts, with 880,000 owners. Wyndham is now acquiring the Travel + Leisure brand from Meredith Corp. (symbol MDP on New York) as part of a strategic alliance. The purchase price is $100 million. Under the deal, likely to be completed in mid-February 2021, Wyndham Destinations will change its name to Travel + Leisure Co. The new Travel + Leisure stock will trade on New York under the ticker symbol TNL. The deal will expand Wyndham’s business beyond its core vacation-ownership operations. In addition to Travel + Leisure magazine, Travel + Leisure operates membership-based travel and trip-planning services. All together, Travel + Leisure has a global audience of 35 million followers across multiple platforms and nearly 60,000 club members. The acquisition will accelerate Wyndham’s strategic plan to build…