KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New $9.50 Million Investment in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 534,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,495,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. National Pension Service bought a new stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Host Hotels & Resorts by 202.6% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,088 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its holdings in Host Hotels & Resorts by 94.9% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,035 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 991 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors own 98.52% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on HST. Raymond James lowered their target price on Host Hotels & Resorts from $23.00 to $20.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $16.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 17th. Compass Point lowered Host Hotels & Resorts from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $20.00 to $18.00 in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Host Hotels & Resorts from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $19.54.

Host Hotels & Resorts Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HST opened at $15.02 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.17 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 2.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.25 and a 1 year high of $20.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $16.28 and a 200-day moving average of $17.29.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion. Host Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 10.37% and a net margin of 12.26%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. will post 1.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Host Hotels & Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is currently 80.81%.

Host Hotels & Resorts Company Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the management of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Brazil, and Canada. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.