Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Raised to $226.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its target price hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $219.00 to $226.00 in a report issued on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

HLT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $235.00 to $236.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $208.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $265.00 to $256.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $232.65.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:HLT opened at $252.76 on Friday. Hilton Worldwide has a 52-week low of $175.80 and a 52-week high of $259.01. The business has a fifty day moving average of $244.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $225.82. The stock has a market cap of $61.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.24, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.30.

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

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th 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 is Friday, November 15th. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.88%.

Hilton Worldwide announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, November 14th that permits the company to buyback $3.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Hilton Worldwide

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 14,357 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.73, for a total value of $3,384,375.61. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,382,423.09. This represents a 38.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HLT. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. NewSquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.