Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT Shares Bought by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich

Key Points

• Bank Julius Baer increased its Hilton stake by 3.7% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 569,430 shares worth approximately $181.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 95.9% of Hilton’s stock.
• Hilton exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.45 in EPS versus the $2.37 consensus, while revenue rose 6.6% year over year. Analysts’ average rating is “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $363.57.
• Insiders sold 158,778 shares worth roughly $56.2 million over the past quarter, including CFO Kevin Jacobs’ sale of 151,050 shares for $53.8 million. Hilton also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 3.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 569,430 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,466 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich owned approximately 0.25% of Hilton Worldwide worth $181,777,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of HLT. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $23,072,000. Profund Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 1.2% during the third quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 3,058 shares of the company's stock worth $973,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. increased its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 7,386 shares of the company's stock worth $2,350,000 after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares during the last quarter. Invera Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. Invera Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,382 shares of the company's stock worth $440,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming boosted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 139.9% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,046 shares of the company's stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Hilton Worldwide

In other news, Director Chris Carr sold 439 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.34, for a total transaction of $136,239.26. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,252 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,560,925.68. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Kevin J. Jacobs sold 151,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.19, for a total value of $53,802,499.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 293,758 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,633,662.02. This represents a 33.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 158,778 shares of company stock valued at $56,196,944. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Hilton Worldwide

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded Hilton to “outperform” from “neutral” and lifted its price target to $421 from $329, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The upgrade reflects increased confidence in Hilton’s earnings and growth outlook. Mizuho upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating on HLT, while Susquehanna, Wells Fargo and Robert W. Baird issued favorable outlooks or increased their price targets. The cluster of supportive recommendations may reinforce the bullish sentiment surrounding the stock. Goldman Sachs coverage Susquehanna forecast Wells Fargo price target Baird outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary on consumer-cyclical companies, including Hilton, adds visibility but does not introduce a major new operating catalyst. Hilton’s latest reported quarter showed earnings above consensus and year-over-year revenue growth, supporting the favorable analyst tone. Consumer cyclical analyst commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its expectations for Hilton’s stock price, creating a counterpoint to the broader analyst optimism and potentially limiting near-term gains. Barclays Hilton outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Chief financial officer Kevin Jacobs sold 151,050 HLT shares for approximately $53.8 million, reducing his holdings by 33.96%. Although insider sales can be planned for personal or diversification reasons, the transaction may weigh on sentiment because it occurred while the stock was near record highs. SEC insider sale filing

Hilton Worldwide Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HLT opened at $356.92 on Monday. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a 1-year low of $253.54 and a 1-year high of $364.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $325.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $320.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.08.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 33.78% and a net margin of 13.40%. The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.11 EPS. The company's revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.17 EPS for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HLT shares. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $390.00 price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore raised shares of Hilton Worldwide from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $312.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $362.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $363.57.

Hilton Worldwide Company Profile

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages, franchises and licenses hotels, resorts and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton.

The company provides accommodations and related services for business and leisure travelers, including guest rooms, meeting and event facilities, food and beverage operations, resort amenities and loyalty program benefits through Hilton Honors.

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