Banco Santander S.A. Raises Stock Holdings in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT)

Key Points

• Banco Santander S.A. increased its stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. by 42.5% in the first quarter, bringing its total holdings to 10,351 shares valued at approximately $2.36 million.
• Hilton's stock recently opened at $260.79 following a 2.7% decline, with a 12-month high of $279.46 and low of $196.04.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, reflecting a low payout ratio of 9.22%, and has had analysts issue a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for its shares.

Banco Santander S.A. grew its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 42.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,351 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,089 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.'s holdings in Hilton Worldwide were worth $2,355,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fiduciary Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co now owns 7,323 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,810,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,542 shares of the company's stock worth $351,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. First Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 10,439 shares of the company's stock worth $2,375,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 890 shares of the company's stock worth $220,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Catalyst Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 961 shares of the company's stock worth $219,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on HLT shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $251.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $296.00 to $291.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $282.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $276.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hilton Worldwide currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $259.19.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of HLT stock traded up $1.51 on Monday, hitting $262.35. 1,129,183 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,929,474. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $261.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $247.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.70 billion, a PE ratio of 40.30, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.26. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a twelve month low of $196.04 and a twelve month high of $279.46.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.09 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 13.84% and a negative return on equity of 46.13%. The company's revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.91 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 7.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. Hilton Worldwide's payout ratio is 9.22%.

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.