InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

This is an updated version of the report published on March 05, 2026, 09:14 AM GMT.

Kalkine’s “Global Travel and Leisure Report” delivers an in-depth analysis of leading companies and transformative trends shaping the travel ecosystem across the U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, and New Zealand. The report spans the full travel value chain from airlines and hospitality groups to digital travel platforms and the booming growth in leisure, entertainment, gaming/casinos, retail and consumer discretionary sectors, capturing how these segments are revolutionizing modern travel experiences.

The UK travel and leisure sector is undergoing a steady and sustainable recovery, supported by strong growth in luxury, adventure, and domestic travel. Despite this momentum, the industry continues to face hurdles such as rising costs from policy changes, inflationary pressures, labour shortages, and climate-related challenges. To maintain progress, stakeholders should focus on enhancing visitor spending, embracing digital innovation and experiential offerings, and appealing to new customer demographics. With enduring demand, a shift toward premium and experience-driven travel, and supportive digital trends, the sector presents compelling long-term opportunities for investors. It stands out as a promising option for those interested in recovery-driven, income-generating, or thematically aligned investments such as wellness and sustainable tourism.

UK’s travel and tourism industry continues to demonstrate resilience and recovery in 2025, contributing significantly to the national economy and employment landscape.

• Favourable economic contribution: Travel and tourism continue to be a major driver of UK GDP in 2025, supported by steady domestic demand and a rebound in international arrivals.
• Job creation and skills growth: The sector remains a key employer, creating jobs across hospitality, transport, culture, and events, while investing more in training and skills development.
• Resilience through diversification: Growth is being reinforced by sustainable tourism, regional travel, and major events, helping the industry adapt to global uncertainties and changing traveler preferences.

Amid elevated Market Volatility and Global Economic Headwinds, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LSE: IHG) stands out as our defensive pick within the Travel & Leisure Sector, supported by rigorous fundamental and technical research. 

Section1: Company Overview and Fundamental Insights:

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LSE: IHG) is an FTSE 100 listed global hospitality company that incorporates broad range of unique brands, including 19 hotel brands and the IHG One Rewards loyalty program. With around 6,300 hotels operating in over 100 countries and a development pipeline exceeding 2,000 properties, the Company has a significant global presence.

Kalkine’s Travel & Leisure Report covers the Investment Highlights, Key Financial Metrics, Risks, and Recent Business Updates along with the Valuation, Target Price, and Recommendation on the stock.

The top 10 shareholders together form ~44.93% of the total shareholding. PineStone Asset Management Inc. & BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Ltd. hold a maximum stake in the company at ~8.40% and ~6.75%, respectively.

In H2 FY25, gross margin expanded to 35.9%, while EBITDA margin improved to 23.4%, demonstrating sturdy operational efficiency and profitable growth.

Below charts data are compared on year-on-year basis

Section 2: Business Updates and Financial Highlights

Section 3: Key Risks and Company Outlook

Section 4: Stock Recommendation Summary

One Year Technical Chart (March 05, 2026) Source: Refinitiv

Markets are trading in a highly volatile zone currently due to certain macroeconomic issues and geopolitical tensions prevailing. Therefore, it is prudent to follow a cautious approach while investing.

Note 1: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Note 2: The reference date for all price data, currency, technical indicators, support, and resistance level is 05 March 2026. The reference data in this report has been partly sourced from REFINITIV.

Note 3: Investment decisions should be made depending on an individual's appetite for upside potential, risks, holding duration, and any previous holdings. An 'Exit' from the stock can be considered if the Target Price mentioned as per the Valuation and or the technical levels provided have been achieved and is subject to the factors discussed above.

Note 4: Target Price refers to a price level which the stock is expected to reach as per the relative valuation method and our technical analysis taking into consideration both short-term and long-term scenarios.

Note 5: ‘Kalkine reports are prepared based on the stock prices captured either from the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and REFINITIV. Typically, both sources (LSE and or REFINITIV) may reflect stock prices with a delay which could be a lag of 15-20 minutes. There can be no assurance that future results or events will be consistent with the information provided in the report. The information is subject to change without any prior notice.

Note 6: Dividend Yield may vary as per the stock price movement.

Technical Indicators Defined: -

Support: A level at which the stock prices tend to find support if they are falling, and a downtrend may take a pause backed by demand or buying interest. Support 1 refers to the nearby support level for the stock and if the price breaches the level, then Support 2 may act as the crucial support level for the stock.

Resistance: A level at which the stock prices tend to find resistance when they are rising, and an uptrend may take a pause due to profit booking or selling interest. Resistance 1 refers to the nearby resistance level for the stock and if the price surpasses the level, then Resistance 2 may act as the crucial resistance level for the stock.

Stop-loss: It is a level to protect against further losses in case of unfavorable movement in the stock prices.