Because the spending bill getting all the attention as the Senate voterama is underway, but the Trump administration is also racing to finalize trade deals as that July 9th deadline looms next week. So joining us now is Brian Gardner. He's Stevil's Washington policy strategist.Brian, it's great to have you back on. First going to start with one big beautiful bill and the fact that we even have a daytime voterama in the Senate. How unusual is that.Uh you know it we only get these every couple of years so it' ...

All right, to you. Thanks, Sam. All right, we've got some news and some fresh comments from uh Treasury Secretary Vessent.Megan Cassella has the uh those uh details for us. Megan, guys, good morning. Bess was just speaking to Bloomberg TV and made a few headlines, made a few news uh bit of news on a couple of different topics.The first is on Fed Chair Powell and he talked about sort of the timeline moving forward for a Fed nomination. He was asked about news he had made on CNBC on Friday that that nominatio ...

All right. What do you make of this slight upticks in PCE. What does that mean potentially for the Fed.The idea that while inflation has certainly moderated over the last couple years, it seems to be kind of sticky above 2%. Yeah, I do think we're going to see a fairly benign print today uh somewhere in the mid teens uh with regards to basis points on the month-on-month gain. As far as what it means for the Fed, Powell had his testimony in front of Congress just this past week and he had to defend the lack ...

on the July deadline that's coming up for the trade deals. Uh is that deadline still hard and fast for the president or is he now considering even coming to trade deals after that deadline and where is he on the going forward. The president has been asked this quite a few times by many of you in the media.I've heard him answer it at press conferences. He just spoke about it on Air Force One. Uh the deadline is not critical.The president can simply uh provide these countries with a deal if they refuse to mak ...

[Music] Now for today's power player segment. Time is running out for senators to reach a deal on President Trump's tax plan. The president wants the big beautiful bill on his desk before July 4th.As the deadline closes in, it's still not clear to markets what the bill's economic impact will be. The White House Council of Economic Adviserss estimates growth from the new tax plan could slash up to $2.3% trillion from the deficit. But the Congressional Budget Office found the mega bill would add $2.4% trillio ...

Geopolitical & Trade Policy - The President of the United States stated he does not require a formal written agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program [1][2] - The US is considering trade-related repercussions for Spain due to its failure to meet NATO defense spending commitments, though direct action against Spain is limited by EU trade negotiations [5][6] - Trade negotiations with various countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, and the EU, are facing delays [7] - The administration cites various factors, such as negotiations with Congress and Middle East events, as reasons for the delay in trade deals [8][9] - The Treasury Secretary suggests the possibility of postponing the July 9th tariff deadline if negotiations are ongoing, indicating a potential extension for some trading partners [11] Federal Reserve - The President has begun interviewing candidates to potentially replace the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, with a decision expected from a pool of three or four candidates [3][4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - System-wide RevPAR grew by 2.5% year over year, driven by strong momentum from the end of the previous year [6][15] - Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $795 million, up 6% year over year, exceeding the high end of guidance [15][21] - Diluted earnings per share adjusted for special items was $1.72 [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group RevPAR increased by more than 6% year over year, supported by growth in urban markets and company meetings [6] - Business transient RevPAR increased by 2%, primarily from small and medium-sized businesses [6] - Leisure transient RevPAR increased by 1%, with robust performance in January followed by softening demand [6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. RevPAR increased by 2.1%, driven by strong group performance [16] - In the Americas outside the U.S., RevPAR increased by 7% year over year, driven by key events in Mexico and Brazil [17] - In Europe, RevPAR grew by 2.6% year over year, with strong rate and occupancy growth in Continental Europe [18] - In the Middle East and Africa, RevPAR increased by 8.5% year over year, driven by strong performance in Saudi Arabia [18] - In the Asia Pacific region, RevPAR was flat year over year, with a decline of 3.1% in China [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to expand its development pipeline, with over 503,000 rooms, representing a 7% year-over-year increase [10][19] - The company aims for net unit growth of 6% to 7% in 2025, with nearly half of the pipeline under construction [12] - The luxury and lifestyle categories accounted for 30% of all hotel openings in the quarter, with significant growth in these portfolios [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that broader macro uncertainty intensified in March, impacting demand, particularly in leisure [6] - The company expects second quarter RevPAR to be approximately flat versus the prior year quarter, with full-year expectations of flat to up 2% [7][21] - Management expressed optimism about long-term opportunities despite current macroeconomic uncertainties, citing a resilient business model [13][36] Other Important Information - The company was named the number one best company to work for in the U.S. by Great Place to Work and Fortune for the second consecutive year [13] - A cash dividend of $0.15 per share was paid during the first quarter, with a total expected return of approximately $3.3 billion to shareholders for the year [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Perception of the recessionary environment - Management acknowledged the uncertainty in the market but expressed a belief that risks are more equally weighted than perceived, with potential for upside in the long term [30][36] Question: Development environment amidst uncertainty - Management indicated that while developers are cautious, there has not been a significant impact on current projects, and they remain optimistic about development momentum [44][50] Question: Impact of economic downturn on business - Management emphasized the resilience of the business model, with low leverage and strong liquidity, preparing for any potential downturn [56][58] Question: Economic intensity of deals in APAC and China - Management highlighted that the business in China is growing through joint ventures, with no capital investment required, and emphasized the strong demand for their brands in the region [63][66] Question: Strength in group bookings - Management noted that group bookings are expected to lead RevPAR growth, despite some short-term uncertainty affecting booking patterns [72][76] Question: Clarification on non RevPAR driven fees - Management clarified that a significant portion of the first quarter's performance was due to timing, but non RevPAR driven fees are expected to outperform throughout the year [86]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported system-wide RevPAR growth of 2.5% year over year, driven by strong momentum from the end of the previous year [6] - Adjusted EBITDA was $795 million in the first quarter, up 6% year over year, exceeding the high end of guidance [15] - Diluted earnings per share adjusted for special items was $1.72 [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group RevPAR increased more than 6% year over year, supported by growth in urban markets and company meetings [6] - Business transient RevPAR increased 2%, primarily from small and medium-sized businesses, which make up roughly 85% of the business transient mix [6] - Leisure transient RevPAR increased 1%, with robust performance in January followed by softening demand patterns [6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Americas outside the U.S., first quarter RevPAR increased 7% year over year, driven by key events in Mexico and Brazil [17] - In Europe, RevPAR grew 2.6% year over year, with strong rate and occupancy growth in Continental Europe [18] - In the Asia Pacific region, first quarter RevPAR was flat year over year, with China experiencing a decline of 3.1% [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to expand its development pipeline, ending the quarter with more than 503,000 rooms, representing a 7% year-over-year increase [10] - The luxury and lifestyle categories accounted for 30% of all hotel openings in the quarter, with these portfolios approaching 1,000 hotels globally [9] - The company aims to deliver net unit growth of 6% to 7% in 2025, with nearly half of its pipeline under construction [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that broader macro uncertainty intensified in March, impacting demand, particularly in leisure [6] - The company expects second quarter RevPAR to be approximately flat versus the prior year quarter, with full-year expectations of flat to up 2% [7] - Management expressed optimism about long-term opportunities supported by a capital-light business model and favorable megatrends in travel [13] Other Important Information - The company was named the number one best company to work for in the U.S. by Great Place to Work and Fortune for the second consecutive year [13] - A cash dividend of $0.15 per share was paid during the first quarter, with a total expected return of approximately $3.3 billion to shareholders for the year [21][22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about recessionary environment - Management acknowledged the uncertainty in the market but expressed confidence in the stability of demand patterns and the potential for positive outcomes in the second half of the year [30][36] Question: Development environment amidst uncertainty - Management indicated that while developers are cautious, there has not been a significant impact on current projects, and they remain optimistic about future growth [44][50] Question: Impact of economic downturn on business - Management highlighted the resilience of the business model, emphasizing low leverage and strong access to liquidity, preparing for any potential downturn [56][58] Question: Economic intensity of deals in APAC and China - Management noted that the business in China continues to grow, with a focus on joint ventures and franchising, which allows for capital-light expansion [63][66] Question: Group performance outlook - Management remains optimistic about group performance leading the pack, despite some short-term booking softness due to uncertainty [72][76]