Hospitality Stockwatch – February 2025

Authors
Arun Upneja, Ph.D. MBA, Dean, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration
Steve Kent, Ph.D., CFA, Assistant Professor, Molloy University-School of Business

Click here to download Hospitality Stockwatch – Current as of February 6, 2025
View previous Hospitality Stockwatch Issues

The start of 2025 has been volatile in many ways, including the stock market. In January, the S&P 500 was up close to 5%. Interestingly, eight of the 14 sub-sectors in our Hospitality Stockwatch moved more than 5% in either direction, suggesting that even our industries experience exaggerated fluctuations. As we move through the fourth quarter earnings season over the next few weeks, it will be fascinating to see if the hot topic among CEOs and investors shifts from how companies are reacting to artificial intelligence to how tariffs will influence trends.

The big movers this past month to the upside were car rentals, rebounding 12.1% from a poor performance in 2024, while cruise stocks rose 11.8% as Carnival and Norwegian began to show the same strong trends that Viking and Royal had been experiencing. Unfortunately, ski resort stocks, such as Vail, continued to underperform. Even with one strike settled, weak snowfall and concerns over ongoing labor issues continue to weigh on the stock.