Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) Holdings Boosted by Czech National Bank

Czech National Bank boosted its holdings in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 5.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 52,857 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,658 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank's holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $13,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLT. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the 3rd quarter worth about $765,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Hilton Worldwide by 3.1% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,090,950 shares of the company's stock worth $1,012,069,000 after purchasing an additional 121,900 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 35.8% in the 3rd quarter. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC now owns 28,756 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,628,000 after purchasing an additional 7,583 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 201.4% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 181,576 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,853,000 after buying an additional 121,322 shares during the period. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on HLT. Melius Research reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Monday, October 21st. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $208.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $219.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $232.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $238.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 23,366 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.66, for a total value of $5,880,287.56. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,833 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,746,152.78. The trade was a 50.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of Hilton Worldwide stock traded up $3.40 on Tuesday, hitting $244.87. 1,032,353 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,146,894. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $180.96 and a 52-week high of $259.01. The stock has a market cap of $59.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.55, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.30. The firm's 50-day moving average is $249.57 and its 200 day moving average is $231.66.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $2.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 10.70% and a negative return on equity of 60.85%. The firm's revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.67 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. Hilton Worldwide's payout ratio is currently 12.88%.

Hilton Worldwide announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 14th that allows the company to buyback $3.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Hilton Worldwide 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.