Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT Shares Sold by Payden & Rygel

Payden & Rygel decreased its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) by 18.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 21,880 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,060 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $6,960,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HLT. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1,128.6% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 163.2% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on HLT shares. China Intl Cap raised Hilton Worldwide to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Argus set a $410.00 price target on Hilton Worldwide and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $362.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Freedom Broker assumed coverage on Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $359.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $363.57.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Kevin J. Jacobs sold 151,050 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.19, for a total value of $53,802,499.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 293,758 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $104,633,662.02. This represents a 33.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Laura Fuentes sold 7,289 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.81, for a total transaction of $2,258,205.09. Following the transaction, the insider owned 33,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,365,622.98. The trade was a 17.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 158,778 shares of company stock worth $56,196,944. Company insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLT opened at $356.92 on Friday. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $253.54 and a 52-week high of $364.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.23, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $325.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $320.76.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.37 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 33.78% and a net margin of 13.40%. Hilton Worldwide’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Analysts forecast that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.11%.

Hilton Worldwide News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilton Worldwide this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded Hilton to “outperform” from “neutral” and lifted its price target to $421 from $329, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The upgrade reflects increased confidence in Hilton’s earnings and growth outlook. Mizuho upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating on HLT, while Susquehanna, Wells Fargo and Robert W. Baird issued favorable outlooks or increased their price targets. The cluster of supportive recommendations may reinforce the bullish sentiment surrounding the stock. Goldman Sachs coverage Susquehanna forecast Wells Fargo price target Baird outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary on consumer-cyclical companies, including Hilton, adds visibility but does not introduce a major new operating catalyst. Hilton’s latest reported quarter showed earnings above consensus and year-over-year revenue growth, supporting the favorable analyst tone. Consumer cyclical analyst commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its expectations for Hilton’s stock price, creating a counterpoint to the broader analyst optimism and potentially limiting near-term gains. Barclays Hilton outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Chief financial officer Kevin Jacobs sold 151,050 HLT shares for approximately $53.8 million, reducing his holdings by 33.96%. Although insider sales can be planned for personal or diversification reasons, the transaction may weigh on sentiment because it occurred while the stock was near record highs. SEC insider sale filing

Hilton Worldwide Profile

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages, franchises and licenses hotels, resorts and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton.

The company provides accommodations and related services for business and leisure travelers, including guest rooms, meeting and event facilities, food and beverage operations, resort amenities and loyalty program benefits through Hilton Honors.