KBC Group NV Sells 7,410 Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corporation $H

Key Points

• KBC Group NV cut its stake in Hyatt by 59.2% in Q4, selling 7,410 shares and leaving 5,099 shares valued at about $817,000.
• Hyatt beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $1.33 vs. $0.29 and revenue of $1.79B, with shares trading near $172.94 and a market cap of $16.34B.
• Big institutions (Bamco, Principal, Wellington, MFS, BofA) increased holdings, institutional ownership stands at 73.54%, and analysts hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target of $181.21.

KBC Group NV decreased its holdings in Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H - Free Report) by 59.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,099 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,410 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Hyatt Hotels were worth $817,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bamco Inc. NY boosted its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 2.7% in the third quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 6,116,673 shares of the company's stock worth $868,139,000 after buying an additional 161,461 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,715,085 shares of the company's stock valued at $669,221,000 after acquiring an additional 843,121 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,159,562 shares of the company's stock worth $448,437,000 after purchasing an additional 211,112 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 24.5% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,765,785 shares of the company's stock worth $392,548,000 after purchasing an additional 545,003 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,421,926 shares of the company's stock worth $201,814,000 after purchasing an additional 193,530 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.54% of the company's stock.

Hyatt Hotels Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Hyatt Hotels stock opened at $172.94 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.34 billion, a P/E ratio of -308.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.75. The company has a fifty day moving average of $155.77 and a 200 day moving average of $156.37. Hyatt Hotels Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $102.93 and a fifty-two week high of $180.53.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $1.04. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. Hyatt Hotels had a negative net margin of 0.73% and a positive return on equity of 5.53%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.42 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hyatt Hotels Corporation will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hyatt Hotels Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Hyatt Hotels's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -107.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

H has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Mizuho raised their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $203.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Hyatt Hotels in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $198.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $200.00 to $197.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hyatt Hotels presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $181.21.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Kinsey Wolf sold 400 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.28, for a total transaction of $58,912.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 545 shares in the company, valued at $80,267.60. This trade represents a 42.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 23.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hyatt Hotels Profile

Hyatt Hotels Corporation NYSE: H is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts and vacation properties. Its portfolio spans a range of price points and styles under brands such as Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Thompson Hotels, Alila and Destination by Hyatt. In addition to accommodations, the company provides meeting and event spaces, food and beverage outlets, spa and wellness centers, and a variety of guest services designed to cater to both leisure and business travelers.

Hyatt's business model combines property ownership, management contracts and third-party franchising.

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