The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index ended October with a 21.7-percent increase to 2,005 and is down 15.2 percent year-to-date 2011. The index ended 2010 at 2,364. The roller coaster that the global economy has been on continues to leave investors with questions, although it looks like they are finally starting to gain back some confidence in the markets,” said Randy Smith, co-founder and chairman of STR. “This was the first monthly increase the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index reported since May, which is an encouraging sign that investors like the performance metrics of hotels, which generally have held up well throughout the year. However, lingering concern surrounding the European debt crisis might have a negative impact on the hotel industry in 2012.”