Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Raised to $277.00

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) had its target price raised by Jefferies Financial Group from $237.00 to $277.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on HLT. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target 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. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $243.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $230.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Mizuho raised their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $238.24.

Hilton Worldwide Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of HLT stock traded down $2.04 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $245.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,120,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,255,833. The business has a fifty day moving average of $248.49 and a 200-day moving average of $229.92. The stock has a market cap of $59.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.30. Hilton Worldwide has a twelve month low of $178.23 and a twelve month high of $259.01.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.07. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 10.70% and a negative return on equity of 60.85%. The business had revenue of $2.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 15th. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.88%.

Hilton Worldwide announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 14th that permits the company to repurchase $3.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hilton Worldwide

In related news, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 23,366 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.66, for a total transaction of $5,880,287.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 22,833 shares in the company, valued at $5,746,152.78. This trade represents a 50.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. FineMark National Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust now owns 79,975 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,451,000 after purchasing an additional 968 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,158,468 shares of the company's stock valued at $470,978,000 after purchasing an additional 26,075 shares during the period. Chase Investment Counsel Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 5.0% in the second quarter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp now owns 14,605 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,135,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the second quarter worth $1,400,000. Finally, Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter valued at $4,015,000. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.