Hilton Worldwide’s (HLT) Hold Rating Reiterated at Melius Research

Melius Research reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on HLT. Robert W. Baird set a $235.00 target price on Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Barclays increased their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $224.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Macquarie upped their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $205.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $245.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Melius lowered shares of Hilton Worldwide from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $221.42.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

HLT stock opened at $233.53 on Monday. Hilton Worldwide has a fifty-two week low of $147.58 and a fifty-two week high of $240.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $224.51 and a 200-day moving average of $213.94. The company has a market capitalization of $58.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.77, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.31.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 11.20% and a negative return on equity of 69.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.63 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.05 EPS for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 23rd were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.26%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Laura Fuentes sold 4,919 shares of Hilton Worldwide stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.00, for a total value of $1,067,423.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,949 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,460,933. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 66.7% in the first quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 125 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 247.8% during the first quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the second quarter worth $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.90% of the company’s stock.

Hilton Worldwide Company 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.