Travel + Leisure makes savvy buy for global growth

Article Excerpt

Travel + Leisure continues to make savvy acquisitions to expand its offerings and stay ahead of rivals. TRAVEL + LEISURE CO., $40.62, is a buy. The company (New York symbol TNL; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.travelandleisureco.com; Shares outstanding: 72.4 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.4%) is now the world’s largest vacation ownership and exchange business. Travel + Leisure operates 245 timeshare resorts and delivers over six million vacations annually. Travel + Leisure has now agreed to acquire the vacation ownership business of global hospitality giant Accor for $48.4 million. Under the terms of the deal, Travel + Leisure Co. will acquire Accor’s vacation ownership business, Accor Vacation Club, representing 24 resorts and nearly 30,000 members. Travel + Leisure Co. also receives the exclusive rights to develop new vacation ownership clubs and products utilizing the Accor Vacation Club brand across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Turkey. The acquisition adds immediately to Travel + Leisure’s earnings. Travel + Leisure is a buy. buy…