Clearbridge Investments LLC Acquires 165,763 Shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT

Key Points

• Clearbridge Investments increased its Hilton Worldwide stake by 18% in the fourth quarter, adding 165,763 shares and bringing its total holdings to 1,087,304 shares valued at about $312.3 million.
• Hilton shares were up 1.7% to $343.74, near their 52-week high of $346.85, with the stock supported by a market cap of $78.25 billion.
• Hilton reported Q1 EPS of $2.01, slightly ahead of estimates, and issued full-year 2026 guidance of $8.28 to $8.40 per share; analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $348.55.

Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 18.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,087,304 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 165,763 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 0.47% of Hilton Worldwide worth $312,328,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in HLT. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,669 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 5,687 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 5,478 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,247,000 after buying an additional 2,899 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 182.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company's stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE HLT opened at $343.74 on Friday. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $241.45 and a 12 month high of $346.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.25 billion, a PE ratio of 52.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $322.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $304.82.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.03. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 12.56% and a negative return on equity of 38.21%. The business had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.72 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on HLT. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $300.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $318.00 to $319.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Susquehanna upped their price target 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. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $322.00 to $320.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 15th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $348.55.

Hilton Worldwide Company 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HLT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.