Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) Short Interest Down 13.1% in February

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 5,075,097 shares, a decline of 13.1% from the January 29th total of 5,840,610 shares. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,545,654 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,545,654 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 2.3% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

NYSE HLT traded up $2.53 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $307.44. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,858,222 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,018,313. The company’s 50-day moving average is $303.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $282.49. Hilton Worldwide has a fifty-two week low of $196.04 and a fifty-two week high of $333.86. The stock has a market cap of $70.49 billion, a PE ratio of 50.24, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.10.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.02 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 40.24% and a net margin of 12.10%.The business’s revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.76 earnings per share. Hilton Worldwide has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.490-8.610 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.910-1.970 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.89 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, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently 9.80%.

Insider Activity at Hilton Worldwide

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total transaction of $36,283,328.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 36,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. This trade represents a 75.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the fourth quarter valued at $803,047,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,100,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,620,531,000 after buying an additional 1,132,880 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1,222.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 820,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $212,998,000 after acquiring an additional 758,930 shares during the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 62.6% during the 2nd quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC now owns 1,894,315 shares of the company’s stock worth $504,532,000 after acquiring an additional 729,295 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 126.3% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,138,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $303,173,000 after purchasing an additional 635,220 shares during the period. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HLT. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $253.00 to $307.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $339.00 price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. HSBC increased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $307.00 to $319.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $317.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $312.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $326.32.

About Hilton Worldwide

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.