Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Lowers Stock Position in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. $HLT

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its Hilton Worldwide stake by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,879 shares and leaving it with 170,473 shares valued at about $49.0 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Hilton, with several firms raising price targets; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and a consensus price target of $348.55.
• Hilton reported $2.01 EPS for the latest quarter, beating estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share to be paid on June 30.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lowered its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT - Free Report) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 170,473 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,879 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned about 0.07% of Hilton Worldwide worth $48,968,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the third quarter valued at $32,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 110.6% during the third quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 139 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 83.5% during the fourth quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 167 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on HLT shares. HSBC raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $353.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. TD Cowen raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Susquehanna raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $345.00 to $353.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $363.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $322.00 to $320.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $348.55.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

Hilton Worldwide stock opened at $316.05 on Friday. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $241.45 and a one year high of $344.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.95 billion, a PE ratio of 48.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.06. The business's fifty day moving average is $312.98 and its 200 day moving average is $298.22.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.03. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 38.21% and a net margin of 12.56%.The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. Hilton Worldwide's revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Hilton Worldwide

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted Hilton’s earnings forecasts for several future quarters and full years, signaling stronger expected profitability ahead. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein trimmed its price target on Hilton to $320 from $322 and kept a market perform rating, suggesting limited near-term upside from current levels. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock is still trading near the recent range, and Bernstein’s new target remains only modestly above where shares have been trading, which may be tempering enthusiasm. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Hilton Worldwide

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 36,445 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. This trade represents a 75.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

About Hilton Worldwide

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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