Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT Shares Bought by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) by 4.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 6,294,665 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 284,352 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $1,808,143,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Hilton Worldwide by 17.4% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 49,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,255,000 after purchasing an additional 7,339 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A. grew its position in Hilton Worldwide by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 73,823 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,153,000 after purchasing an additional 7,441 shares during the period. Allstate Corp raised its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 100.2% during the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 16,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,791,000 after buying an additional 8,348 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Breakefield Broenniman LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at about $7,032,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 149.8% in the third quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 18,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,835,000 after buying an additional 11,176 shares during the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLT opened at $343.74 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $322.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $305.09. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $241.45 and a 1 year high of $346.85. The company has a market capitalization of $78.25 billion, a PE ratio of 52.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.05.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.95 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 12.56% and a negative return on equity of 38.21%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. Hilton Worldwide has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.280-8.400 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.240 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.03 EPS for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is currently 9.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on HLT shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $371.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $318.00 to $319.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. HSBC boosted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $353.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Hilton Worldwide from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hilton Worldwide presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.55.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts. Its business spans full-service luxury and lifestyle properties, select- and focused-service hotels, and extended-stay accommodations. The company generates revenue through management and franchise fees, owned and leased real estate, and guest services, and supports customer retention and direct bookings through its Hilton Honors guest loyalty program.

Hilton’s brand portfolio includes internationally recognized names across the lodging spectrum, from luxury and upper-upscale brands to midscale and extended-stay offerings.