InterContinental Hotels Group PLC ADR IHG

InterContinental's Brand Prowess Remains Stout as Travel Demand Shows Signs of Moderation

While waning consumer savings threaten near-term industry demand, we think InterContinental holds one of the industry's strongest brand intangible assets—primary source of its wide moat—and forecast it will expand its room share during the next decade. Renovated and newer brands focused on the attractive midscale and extended-stay segments as well as a loyalty program of more than 130 million members will aid this growth. Also, the company holds a strong presence in international markets, with non-Americas regions constituting 45% of total rooms in 2023. This positions the company well for the more than 1 billion middle-income class individuals expected to be added to the global population over the next decade. The company currently has a mid-single-digit percentage share of global hotel rooms and over 10% share of all industry rooms under construction. We see its total room growth averaging over 3% over the next decade, above the 1%-2% supply increase we estimate for the US industry.