London, July 7, 2026, 21:02 BST
- InterContinental Hotels Group ended the day up 0.94% at $166.20, outpacing the FTSE 100, which rose 0.13%.
- IHG bought back 40,000 shares for roughly $6.62 million, paying an average price of $165.4551 a share.
- IHG had 148.815 million shares out after the buyback, nearly matching the FY26 consensus weighted-average count of 148 million.
- BofA and Goldman Sachs bumped up their targets after they raised assumptions for RevPAR or growth.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG) ended Tuesday’s session up 0.94% at $166.20, with 326,459 shares changing hands by the close in London. That move outpaced the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX), which added 0.13%. ADVFN showed a session range of $163.65 to $166.90, with the last trade coming at 16:35:18.
IHG’s buyback price stood out for shareholders. In a Tuesday RNS, the company said it bought 40,000 shares Monday between $164.10 and $167.85, with an average price of $165.4551. IHG will cancel the shares, cutting its shares in issue to 148,815,326, not counting treasury stock.
On Tuesday, IHG paid $166.20 per share for its latest buyback, about 0.45% under the going price. The company spent $6.62 million to buy roughly 0.027% of shares outstanding after the deal. The buyback won’t make a big dent in the float in one day. The move stands out because IHG’s July 6 company consensus already bakes in a basic weighted-average share count of just 148 million for 2026.
Based on IHG’s statement, the Tuesday RNS and the latest IHG consensus numbers:
| Measure | Latest value | Investor read |
|---|---|---|
| Official IHG share price | $166.20 | London close on July 7, 16:51 |
| Latest buyback average price | $165.4551 | Roughly 0.45% under market |
| Latest buyback spend | $6.62 million | Based on 40,000 shares repurchased |
| Shares in issue after buyback | 148.815 million | Sits about 0.55% higher vs. FY26 street share count |
| FY26 consensus adjusted EPS | 571 cents | Figure built on 148 million average shares |
BofA Securities, part of Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), raised its price target for IHG to $188 from $166 and kept a Buy. Goldman Sachs NYSE:GS bumped its IHG target up to $190 from $188 and stayed at Conviction Buy, Investing.com reported. BofA now sees second-quarter RevPAR rising 3.1% and net unit growth at 5%. Goldman hiked its Q2 RevPAR forecast to 3.0% from 1.8% and its 2026 view to 3.2% from 2.7%.
The forecasts are above or close to IHG’s July 6 consensus. IHG lists FY26 RevPAR growth consensus at 2.8%, ranging from 2.0% to 3.4%. Net system size growth sits at 4.7%, in a range of 4.5% to 5.0%. Adjusted EPS is at 571 cents.
| Item | Latest bank view | IHG July 6 consensus | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 RevPAR growth | Goldman has 3.2% | 2.8% | 0.4 point higher |
| Q2 RevPAR growth | BofA at 3.1%, Goldman at 3.0% | Not shown | Banks only |
| Net unit/system size growth | BofA puts it at 5.0% | 4.7% | 0.3 percentage point gap |
| BofA target vs $166.20 price | $188 | — | up 13.1% |
| Goldman target vs $166.20 price | $190 | — | up 14.3% |
IHG said Monday it now has more than 200 open hotels in Canada, with around 40 more on the way and another six planned to open in 2026. The company tied this growth to a Destination Canada forecast that expects visitor spending to rise 6.0% in 2026.
Jolyon Bulley, IHG’s Americas CEO, said Canada “offers a stay for every traveler and occasion” and told reporters the company wants “the right brands in the right places.” InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Canada is small at the group level, but Monday’s broker moves are about more rooms, more conversion brands and fees, without tying up a lot of capital in owned hotels. IHG said back in May its Q1 net system size was up 5.0% from a year ago, with 82 hotels opened and 163 signed. Conversions made up 35% of rooms opened and 53% of rooms signed, the company said.
RevPAR is still the key driver. In May, IHG posted global RevPAR up 4.4% for Q1, beating the 3.3% Reuters estimate. U.S. RevPAR climbed 3.4% after falling for three quarters, while Greater China was up 5.7%, according to Reuters.
CEO Elie Maalouf told analysts then the hit from the Middle East was “more than offset” by gains in other markets. CFO Michael Glover said people were still booking trips and not put off by an extra “$100 or more of gas prices.” AlphaValue’s Yi Zhong said IHG’s mid-scale brands were strong with value-focused leisure travelers, but said business-travel exposure could keep gains in check compared to rivals. Reuters
Tuesday’s stock move wasn’t driven by a new trading update but pointed to capital returns. The company has a $950 million buyback set through 2026. By the end of Q1, $240 million had been completed with a 1.1% reduction in shares.
IHG is set to post results on Aug. 11, 2026. Analysts will be watching the second-quarter RevPAR numbers, which are seen at 3.0% by Goldman and 3.1% by BofA.
