Host Hotels & Resorts Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:HST)

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors acquired 2,608 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 497% compared to the average volume of 437 put options.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO James F. Risoleo sold 28,136 shares of Host Hotels & Resorts stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.04, for a total value of $591,981.44. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 2,225,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,826,140.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Host Hotels & Resorts

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HST. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in Host Hotels & Resorts in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Host Hotels & Resorts by 57.5% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,750 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in Host Hotels & Resorts in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in Host Hotels & Resorts in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.52% of the company’s stock.

Host Hotels & Resorts Trading Up 0.2 %

HST opened at $19.33 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.60 billion, a PE ratio of 18.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.31. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $20.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 3.29 and a quick ratio of 3.29. Host Hotels & Resorts has a 12-month low of $14.92 and a 12-month high of $21.31.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by ($0.25). The business had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. Host Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 13.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.44 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Host Hotels & Resorts will post 1.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.14%. This is a boost from Host Hotels & Resorts’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. Host Hotels & Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is 76.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on HST shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 15th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $18.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Monday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Host Hotels & Resorts presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.33.

Host Hotels & Resorts Company Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is an S&P 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 72 properties in the United States and five properties internationally totaling approximately 42,000 rooms.