Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) Sets New 52-Week High Following Earnings Beat

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.87. Hyatt Hotels had a negative net margin of 1.27% and a positive return on equity of 3.22%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.42 earnings per share.

Analyst Ratings Changes

H has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays cut their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $200.00 to $198.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Hyatt Hotels from $203.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $178.00 to $179.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Evercore reissued an “in-line” rating and set a $175.00 price target (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.13.

Insider Activity at Hyatt Hotels

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hyatt Hotels

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC raised its stake in Hyatt Hotels by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 9,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,339,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 483 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,318 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 0.3% in the third quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. now owns 23,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,314,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Atria Investments Inc grew its position in Hyatt Hotels by 4.1% during the second quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 2,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. 73.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hyatt Hotels Stock Up 4.8%

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

Hyatt Hotels Company Profile

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.