Here’s our Pick of the Month for October

Article Excerpt

WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $16.01 (New York symbol WYN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (973-753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 178.6 million; Market cap: $2.9 billion) is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with 7,000 franchised hotels worldwide. Aside from Wyndham and Ramada, it owns a variety of other quality brands, including Days Inn, Super 8, Wingate by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites, Microtel Inns & Suites, Hawthorn Suites, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn and AmeriHost Inn. The company also manages a number of vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares. This wide range of operations gives Wyndham more consistent profits than most of its competitors, who mainly focus on hotels. In the three months ended June 30, 2009, revenue fell 18.7%, to $920 million from $1.13 billion a year earlier, as its hotels saw fewer guests in a slower economy. Earnings, excluding one-time items, fell 20.2%, to $75 million, or $0.41 a share, from $94 million, or $0.53. Wyndham continues to cut its costs, particularly…