Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Upgraded at Mizuho

Mizuho upgraded shares of Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $421.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $329.00.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on HLT. China Intl Cap raised Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Hilton Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $363.00 target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Evercore raised shares of Hilton Worldwide from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.57.

Hilton Worldwide Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE HLT opened at $356.92 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $325.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $320.76. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $253.54 and a 1-year high of $364.50. The firm has a market cap of $79.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.10.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.37 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 33.78% and a net margin of 13.40%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.11 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Hilton Worldwide will post 9.17 EPS for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Laura Fuentes sold 7,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.81, for a total value of $2,258,205.09. Following the sale, the insider owned 33,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,365,622.98. This trade represents a 17.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Kevin Jacobs sold 151,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider directly owned 293,758 shares in the company, valued at $104,633,662.02. This represents a 33.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 158,778 shares of company stock worth $56,196,944. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hilton Worldwide

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter worth $26,000. Trust Co. of Vermont bought 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 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More 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

Hilton Worldwide Company Profile

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.