Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT Stock Bought by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) by 1,631.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 100,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 94,224 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $31,812,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in HLT. First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 136.8% during the third quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 438 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the third quarter worth approximately $5,657,000. Silver Grove Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Hilton Worldwide by 27.0% in the third quarter. Silver Grove Financial Group Inc. now owns 626 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Moneco Advisors LLC grew its position in Hilton Worldwide by 3.9% in the third quarter. Moneco Advisors LLC now owns 1,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $419,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 2.6% in the third quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 12,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,773,000 after buying an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on HLT shares. Deutsche Bank upgraded Hilton Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $335.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. China Intl Cap upgraded Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. TD Cowen raised Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $362.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $365.08.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Chris Carr sold 439 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.34, for a total value of $136,239.26. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,252 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,925.68. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Kevin J. Jacobs sold 151,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.19, for a total value of $53,802,499.50. Following the completion of the sale, 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 174,416 shares of company stock valued at $61,985,662. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of HLT opened at $376.91 on Thursday. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $263.95 and a one year high of $381.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $332.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $323.72. The stock has a market cap of $83.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.93, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.08.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 13.40% and a negative return on equity of 33.78%. The business had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.11 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is presently 8.11%.

Key Stories Impacting Hilton Worldwide

Here are a few of the latest stories about HLT:

• Positive Sentiment: Hilton announced plans to enter Canberra with the signing of a new hotel, and said its Waldorf Astoria Residences portfolio is expected to nearly triple by 2030—potential long-term additions to its growth pipeline. Canberra hotel signing Waldorf Astoria residences expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Christopher Silcock sold 15,638 shares for about $5.79 million, reducing his holdings by roughly 15%. Insider sales can raise investor concern, though they do not necessarily signal a change in company outlook. Insider sale report
• Negative Sentiment: The reported consensus target of $365.08 is below the stock’s recent trading level, potentially limiting perceived upside. Analyst consensus target

Hilton Worldwide Profile

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. is a global hospitality company that develops, manages, franchises and licenses hotels and resorts. Its portfolio serves a range of travelers, from luxury and leisure guests to business travelers and extended-stay customers. Hilton also operates a vacation ownership business through Hilton Grand Vacations under a long-term brand and licensing relationship. The company’s brands include Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Homewood Suites and Hilton Honors, its guest loyalty program.