AlphaQuest LLC Sells 51,939 Shares of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. $HST

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC cut its Host Hotels & Resorts stake by 28% in the fourth quarter, selling 51,939 shares and leaving it with 133,634 shares valued at about $2.37 million.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish on HST, with several firms raising price targets to $23-$24 and the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average target price of $22.
• Host Hotels & Resorts posted solid results and a dividend, beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, while also announcing a $0.20 quarterly dividend that implies a 3.5% yield.

AlphaQuest LLC decreased its holdings in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST - Free Report) by 28.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 133,634 shares of the company's stock after selling 51,939 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Host Hotels & Resorts were worth $2,369,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of HST. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Host Hotels & Resorts by 80.5% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 23,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $338,000 after buying an additional 10,618 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 24.3% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 5,209,534 shares of the company's stock worth $74,027,000 after purchasing an additional 1,019,345 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 6.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 18,879 shares of the company's stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,088 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the second quarter worth approximately $190,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 413.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,718 shares of the company's stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 3,799 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.52% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on HST shares. Truist Financial increased their target price on Host Hotels & Resorts from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on Host Hotels & Resorts from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $23.00 target price on Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Argus upgraded Host Hotels & Resorts to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $22.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Host Hotels & Resorts news, EVP Nathan S. Tyrrell sold 58,579 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.00, for a total transaction of $1,288,738.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 697,658 shares in the company, valued at $15,348,476. This trade represents a 7.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Host Hotels & Resorts Price Performance

Host Hotels & Resorts stock opened at $23.11 on Wednesday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $20.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.25. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has a one year low of $14.85 and a one year high of $23.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 7.91 and a quick ratio of 7.91. The firm has a market cap of $15.83 billion, a PE ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.10.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.31. Host Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 15.15% and a net margin of 16.40%.The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. The company's revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Host Hotels & Resorts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.16 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Host Hotels & Resorts's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.42%.

Host Hotels & Resorts Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and managing premium lodging properties. The company's portfolio predominantly comprises luxury and upper-upscale hotels and resorts operated under leading global brands. Through strategic acquisitions, dispositions and capital investments, Host Hotels & Resorts seeks to enhance long-term value by aligning property-level operating performance with broader market trends in hospitality demand.

The company's holdings span major urban, resort and conference destinations across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

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