Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Given New $287.00 Price Target at Barclays

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) had its price target boosted by Barclays from $270.00 to $287.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on HLT. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Melius cut shares of Hilton Worldwide from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $265.00 to $256.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price 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. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $244.06.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Hilton Worldwide stock opened at $269.55 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $250.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $235.50. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $186.83 and a 1-year high of $274.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.84, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.29.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.09. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 10.70% and a negative return on equity of 60.85%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide will post 7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 14th that permits the company to repurchase $3.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 5.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.22%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.76%.

Insider Activity at Hilton Worldwide

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 40,653 shares of the firm’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 value of $10,928,745.99. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 77,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,802,871.89. This trade represents a 34.44 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 23,366 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.66, for a total value of $5,880,287.56. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,746,152.78. This represents a 50.58 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,833,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Hilton Worldwide by 23.9% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 170,462 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,131,000 after acquiring an additional 32,859 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the fourth quarter valued at $237,000. Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 44.2% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 3,680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the 4th quarter worth about $209,000. 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.