Benchstone Capital Management LP Invests $20.46 Million in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT)

Benchstone Capital Management LP bought a new position in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 82,784 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,461,000. Hilton Worldwide comprises about 2.1% of Benchstone Capital Management LP's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HLT. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 15.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 10,756,416 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,479,354,000 after buying an additional 1,429,537 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $765,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Hilton Worldwide by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,090,950 shares of the company's stock worth $1,012,069,000 after purchasing an additional 121,900 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 372 shares of the company's stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 20.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,456 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Down 0.9 %

Hilton Worldwide stock traded down $2.11 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $236.85. The stock had a trading volume of 1,777,512 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,752,212. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $194.93 and a fifty-two week high of $275.22. The company has a market cap of $56.30 billion, a PE ratio of 38.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a 50-day moving average of $226.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $242.51.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.11. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 13.74% and a negative return on equity of 54.47%. The firm had revenue of $2.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.53 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 7.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.46%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on HLT. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $242.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $275.00 to $245.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays reduced their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $233.00 to $232.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Mizuho restated a "neutral" rating and set a $263.00 price target (up previously from $243.00) on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $235.00 price objective (down from $296.00) on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Monday, April 14th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hilton Worldwide currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $241.31.

Insider Transactions at Hilton Worldwide

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 40,653 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.83, for a total transaction of $10,928,745.99. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 77,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,802,871.89. This represents a 34.44 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.60% 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.