Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Earnings Beat

Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $178.63 and last traded at $177.4880, with a volume of 186313 shares. The stock had previously closed at $168.63.

The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.87. Hyatt Hotels had a positive return on equity of 3.22% and a negative net margin of 1.27%.During the same period last year, the company posted $0.42 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $188.00 target price on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Mizuho increased their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $203.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $154.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore restated an “in-line” rating and issued a $175.00 target price (up from $170.00) on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $172.13.

Insider Transactions at Hyatt Hotels

In other Hyatt Hotels news, insider David Udell sold 4,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.00, for a total transaction of $713,800.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 13,746 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,281,836. This trade represents a 23.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Javier Aguila sold 9,548 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.87, for a total transaction of $1,583,726.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,684 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $445,195.08. This represents a 78.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 23.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hyatt Hotels

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in H. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Hyatt Hotels by 7.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 426,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,229,000 after buying an additional 29,976 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in Hyatt Hotels by 8.5% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 143,311 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,556,000 after purchasing an additional 11,252 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,055 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Hyatt Hotels in the second quarter valued at about $416,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 14.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the company’s stock worth $704,000 after purchasing an additional 646 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.54% of the company’s stock.

Hyatt Hotels Trading Up 4.8%

The firm has a market cap of $16.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -190.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $162.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.80.

About Hyatt Hotels

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts and vacation properties. Its portfolio spans a range of price points and styles under brands such as Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Thompson Hotels, Alila and Destination by Hyatt. In addition to accommodations, the company provides meeting and event spaces, food and beverage outlets, spa and wellness centers, and a variety of guest services designed to cater to both leisure and business travelers.

Hyatt’s business model combines property ownership, management contracts and third-party franchising.