Morgan Stanley Raises Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target to $274.00

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its target price hoisted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $265.00 to $274.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 6.14% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also commented on HLT. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $247.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $263.00 price target (up from $243.00) on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $219.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hilton Worldwide currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $250.61.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

NYSE:HLT traded down $5.44 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $258.15. 497,968 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,467,315. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $254.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $242.41. Hilton Worldwide has a 52-week low of $193.86 and a 52-week high of $275.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.12, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.29.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase 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 an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 23,366 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.66, for a total transaction of $5,880,287.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 22,833 shares of the company’s stock, 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 at the SEC website. Also, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 40,653 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 77,383 shares in the company, valued at $20,802,871.89. The trade was a 34.44 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hilton Worldwide

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 95.90% of the stock is 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.