Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Raised to $362.00

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its target price raised by Robert W. Baird from $360.00 to $362.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Hilton Worldwide from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. China Intl Cap raised shares of Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $363.57.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of Hilton Worldwide stock opened at $356.92 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $79.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a 50-day moving average of $325.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $320.76. Hilton Worldwide has a 1 year low of $253.54 and a 1 year high of $364.50.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 33.78% and a net margin of 13.40%. The business had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Hilton Worldwide’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is 8.11%.

Insider Transactions at Hilton Worldwide

In related news, Director Chris Carr sold 439 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.34, for a total transaction of $136,239.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,560,925.68. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kevin J. Jacobs sold 151,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.19, for a total transaction of $53,802,499.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 293,758 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $104,633,662.02. This trade represents a 33.96% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 158,778 shares of company stock valued at $56,196,944 in the last ninety days. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Hilton Worldwide by 1,128.6% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Hilton Worldwide by 163.2% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 100 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Hilton Worldwide News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilton Worldwide this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded Hilton to “outperform” from “neutral” and lifted its price target to $421 from $329, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The upgrade reflects increased confidence in Hilton’s earnings and growth outlook. Mizuho upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating on HLT, while Susquehanna, Wells Fargo and Robert W. Baird issued favorable outlooks or increased their price targets. The cluster of supportive recommendations may reinforce the bullish sentiment surrounding the stock. Goldman Sachs coverage Susquehanna forecast Wells Fargo price target Baird outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary on consumer-cyclical companies, including Hilton, adds visibility but does not introduce a major new operating catalyst. Hilton’s latest reported quarter showed earnings above consensus and year-over-year revenue growth, supporting the favorable analyst tone. Consumer cyclical analyst commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its expectations for Hilton’s stock price, creating a counterpoint to the broader analyst optimism and potentially limiting near-term gains. Barclays Hilton outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Chief financial officer Kevin Jacobs sold 151,050 HLT shares for approximately $53.8 million, reducing his holdings by 33.96%. Although insider sales can be planned for personal or diversification reasons, the transaction may weigh on sentiment because it occurred while the stock was near record highs. SEC insider sale filing

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages, franchises and licenses hotels, resorts and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton.

The company provides accommodations and related services for business and leisure travelers, including guest rooms, meeting and event facilities, food and beverage operations, resort amenities and loyalty program benefits through Hilton Honors.