Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $254.53.

HLT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $270.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $265.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $219.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 40,653 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.83, for a total transaction of $10,928,745.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 77,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,802,871.89. This trade represents a 34.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Up 1.4 %

NYSE:HLT traded up $3.29 on Friday, reaching $232.62. The stock had a trading volume of 2,097,776 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,528,832. The company has a market capitalization of $55.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.29. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $193.86 and a 1-year high of $275.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $252.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $244.49.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.09. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 54.47% and a net margin of 13.74%. Sell-side analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.26%. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.76%.

About Hilton Worldwide

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.