Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $230.59.

HLT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Melius Research reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Barclays dropped their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $244.00 to $243.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $265.00 to $256.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $230.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of HLT stock opened at $253.68 on Wednesday. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $172.62 and a 1-year high of $259.01. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $243.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $224.29. The company has a market cap of $61.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.30.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.07. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 60.85% and a net margin of 10.70%. The firm had revenue of $2.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.24%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.88%.

Hilton Worldwide declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 14th that allows the company to buyback $3.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Laura Fuentes sold 4,919 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.00, for a total value of $1,067,423.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,949 shares in the company, valued at $3,460,933. This trade represents a 23.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 14,357 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.73, for a total value of $3,384,375.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 22,833 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,382,423.09. This trade represents a 38.60 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter worth $33,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the third quarter worth $38,000. NewSquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter worth $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.90% of the company’s stock.

Hilton Worldwide Company Profile

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc, a hospitality company, engages in managing, franchising, owning, and leasing hotels and resorts. It operates through two segments, Management and Franchise, and Ownership. The company engages in the hotel management and licensing of its brands. It operates luxury hotels under the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, and Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand; lifestyle hotels under the Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton, and Motto by Hilton brand; full service hotels under the Signia by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and DoubleTree by Hilton brand; service hotels under the Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, and Tru by Hilton brand; all-suite hotels under the Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton brand; and economy hotel under the Spark by Hilton brand, as well as Hilton Grand Vacations.