Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) Short Interest Update

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 30,454,300 shares, a growth of 23.0% from the February 26th total of 24,760,851 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,676,028 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days. Approximately 4.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Host Hotels & Resorts

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in Host Hotels & Resorts by 89.1% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 1,658 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 781 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in the second quarter worth $29,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 79.6% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,773 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 786 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 234.1% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,339 shares during the period. 98.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Host Hotels & Resorts Price Performance

HST traded up $0.12 on Monday, hitting $18.96. 6,118,185 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,327,846. Host Hotels & Resorts has a fifty-two week low of $12.22 and a fifty-two week high of $21.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.09. The stock has a market cap of $13.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.13.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. Host Hotels & Resorts had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 11.54%. Host Hotels & Resorts’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.44 EPS. Host Hotels & Resorts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.110 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Host Hotels & Resorts will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Host Hotels & Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is 72.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on HST shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 price target on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. UBS Group set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 target price on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $23.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $20.43.

Host Hotels & Resorts Company Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and managing premium lodging properties. The company’s portfolio predominantly comprises luxury and upper-upscale hotels and resorts operated under leading global brands. Through strategic acquisitions, dispositions and capital investments, Host Hotels & Resorts seeks to enhance long-term value by aligning property-level operating performance with broader market trends in hospitality demand.

The company’s holdings span major urban, resort and conference destinations across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.