South Street Advisors LLC Has $21.68 Million Holdings in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT)

South Street Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) by 3.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 94,054 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,008 shares during the period. Hilton Worldwide accounts for about 3.3% of South Street Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. South Street Advisors LLC’s holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $21,679,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of HLT. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. NewSquare Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Family Firm Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HLT traded down $1.48 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $248.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,851,700 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,560,229. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $164.93 and a 12-month high of $255.86. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $233.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $218.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.31, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.30.

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

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

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.24%. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is presently 12.88%.

Insider Transactions at Hilton Worldwide

In related news, insider Laura Fuentes sold 4,919 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.00, for a total value of $1,067,423.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,949 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,460,933. This represents a 23.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Michael W. Duffy sold 14,357 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.73, for a total transaction of $3,384,375.61. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 22,833 shares in the company, valued at $5,382,423.09. The trade was a 38.60 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on HLT shares. Melius lowered Hilton Worldwide from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $235.00 to $236.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $185.00 to $181.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $237.00 to $232.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Melius Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $228.71.

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.