Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Reaches New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

by · The Cerbat Gem

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLTGet Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $350.00 to $363.00. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Hilton Worldwide traded as high as $339.58 and last traded at $341.2730, with a volume of 117512 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $330.38.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $300.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $373.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Argus raised their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $299.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $329.55.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on HLT

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 36,445 shares in the company, valued at $11,570,194.15. This trade represents a 75.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HLT. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at about $803,047,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,100,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,620,531,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132,880 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 758,930 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 126.3% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,010,313 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,559,316,000 after purchasing an additional 567,651 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide Trading Up 3.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $78.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.11. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $309.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $289.73.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLTGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.06. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 12.10% and a negative return on equity of 40.24%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. Hilton Worldwide’s revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 7.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently 9.80%.

Hilton Worldwide Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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