Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Raised to $226.00

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its target price raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $219.00 to $226.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

HLT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Melius cut Hilton Worldwide from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $208.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $232.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $230.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hilton Worldwide currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $232.65.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

NYSE HLT opened at $252.76 on Friday. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $175.80 and a 1-year high of $259.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $244.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $225.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.62 billion, a PE ratio of 54.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.30.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $2.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 10.70% and a negative return on equity of 60.85%. Hilton Worldwide’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid 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 dividend yield of 0.24%. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently 12.88%.

Hilton Worldwide announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 14th that authorizes the company to repurchase $3.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Hilton Worldwide

In other news, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 14,357 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.73, for a total transaction of $3,384,375.61. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,833 shares in the company, valued at $5,382,423.09. This trade represents a 38.60 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,844,000 after buying an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 11.7% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 13,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,895,000 after acquiring an additional 1,393 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 130.2% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 10.9% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 321,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,185,000 after purchasing an additional 31,548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.