Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Purchases 5,055 Shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT

Key Points

• Applied Finance Capital Management nearly doubled its Hilton stake in the fourth quarter, buying 5,055 additional shares and bringing its total to 10,282 shares valued at about $2.95 million.
• Hilton’s latest earnings beat expectations on EPS, but revenue came in below analyst estimates; the company also reaffirmed/issued forward guidance for FY 2026 EPS of 8.28–8.40.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus, even as Sanford C. Bernstein slightly cut its target to $320 and kept a market perform rating.

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 96.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,282 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,055 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC's holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $2,954,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 25.6% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,284 shares of the company's stock worth $520,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,135 shares of the company's stock worth $1,396,000 after buying an additional 1,669 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 38.8% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 20,327 shares of the company's stock worth $4,625,000 after buying an additional 5,687 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 5,478 shares of the company's stock worth $1,247,000 after purchasing an additional 2,899 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 182.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. 95.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Down 0.1%

HLT opened at $316.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $71.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.25, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.06. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 52 week low of $241.45 and a 52 week high of $344.75. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $312.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $298.22.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.03. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 38.21% and a net margin of 12.56%.The business had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. The company's revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio is presently 9.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore increased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $335.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Hilton Worldwide from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $345.00 to $353.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $325.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $348.55.

Hilton Worldwide News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted Hilton’s earnings forecasts for several future quarters and full years, signaling stronger expected profitability ahead. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein trimmed its price target on Hilton to $320 from $322 and kept a market perform rating, suggesting limited near-term upside from current levels. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock is still trading near the recent range, and Bernstein’s new target remains only modestly above where shares have been trading, which may be tempering enthusiasm. Article Title

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 36,445 shares in the company, valued at $11,570,194.15. This represents a 75.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Hilton Worldwide Profile

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.

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