Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Raised to $274.00

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $265.00 to $274.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price 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. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $263.00 target price (up from $243.00) on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Twelve equities research 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, Hilton Worldwide currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $250.61.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of HLT opened at $250.93 on Tuesday. Hilton Worldwide has a one year low of $193.86 and a one year high of $275.22. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $255.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $242.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.37 billion, a PE ratio of 40.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.29.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 13.74% and a negative return on equity of 54.47%. Analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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 given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.76%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 40,653 shares of Hilton Worldwide stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.83, for a total transaction of $10,928,745.99. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 77,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,802,871.89. The trade was a 34.44 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 23,366 shares of Hilton Worldwide stock in a transaction 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 approximately $5,746,152.78. This trade represents a 50.58 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HLT. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $41,000. 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.