Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $348.5909.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $299.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $335.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $354.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of HLT stock opened at $318.33 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $72.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.60, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.06. Hilton Worldwide has a 12 month low of $235.20 and a 12 month high of $344.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $312.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $294.81.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.03. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 12.56% and a negative return on equity of 38.21%. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hilton Worldwide has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.280-8.400 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.240 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 36,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. This represents a 75.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hilton Worldwide

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter worth about $803,047,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,100,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,620,531,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132,880 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 1,222.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 820,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $212,998,000 after purchasing an additional 758,930 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 126.3% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,138,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $303,173,000 after purchasing an additional 635,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,010,313 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,559,316,000 after buying an additional 567,651 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.90% of the company’s stock.

Hilton Worldwide Company Profile

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts. Its business spans full-service luxury and lifestyle properties, select- and focused-service hotels, and extended-stay accommodations. The company generates revenue through management and franchise fees, owned and leased real estate, and guest services, and supports customer retention and direct bookings through its Hilton Honors guest loyalty program.

Hilton’s brand portfolio includes internationally recognized names across the lodging spectrum, from luxury and upper-upscale brands to midscale and extended-stay offerings.