Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT Stake Lowered by Bessemer Group Inc.

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. trimmed its Hilton Worldwide stake by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, though it still held 874,195 shares worth about $251.1 million. Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other institutions owning 95.9% of the stock.
• Hilton received a more optimistic earnings outlook from analysts, as Zacks raised estimates for FY2026 through FY2028 and boosted several near-term quarterly EPS forecasts. Even so, some commentary noted analyst sentiment on the stock remains mixed.
• Hilton recently beat quarterly EPS estimates at $2.01, raised FY2026 guidance to $8.28–$8.40 per share, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share. Several analysts also lifted price targets, with the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy.

Bessemer Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 874,195 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,520 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.38% of Hilton Worldwide worth $251,111,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of HLT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,100,718 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,620,531,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132,880 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1,222.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 820,991 shares of the company's stock valued at $212,998,000 after purchasing an additional 758,930 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 126.3% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,138,294 shares of the company's stock valued at $303,173,000 after purchasing an additional 635,220 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,010,313 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,559,316,000 after purchasing an additional 567,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at $110,693,000. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hilton Worldwide News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its earnings estimates for Hilton across several periods, including FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028, signaling stronger expected profitability ahead. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also lifted near-term quarterly EPS estimates for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027, and Q1 2028, reflecting a broadly improved earnings outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ updated FY2026 estimate of $8.91 per share remains slightly below the current consensus of $9.03, so the revised outlook is constructive but not uniformly above expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate commentary noted that analysts remain mixed on Hilton compared with other consumer cyclical stocks, suggesting sentiment is improving but not fully one-sided. Article Title

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total transaction of $36,283,328.83. Following the transaction, the insider owned 36,445 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. The trade was a 75.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Hilton Worldwide stock opened at $316.26 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $72.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.06. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $241.45 and a fifty-two week high of $344.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $312.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $298.10.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 EPS. The business's revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. will post 9.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on HLT. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $371.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $304.00 to $322.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $335.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $339.00 target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hilton Worldwide presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $348.64.

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.

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