Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Adjusted EPS beat: Hilton reported adjusted EPS of $2.01 versus consensus of about $1.94 and revenue grew ~9% year‑over‑year, but management issued Q2 2026 guidance of $2.18–$2.24 and FY2026 guidance of $8.28–$8.40, both below Street expectations (~$2.43 and ~$9.05), signalling tempered near‑term upside.
• Market reaction and valuation: Shares traded down ~1.2% to $328.55 (market cap $75.2B) after the print; the stock sports a P/E of ~53.8 and Hilton pays a $0.15 quarterly dividend ($0.60 annual, ~0.2% yield).
• Analyst/insider activity: Analysts have largely lifted price targets (consensus rating "Moderate Buy" with an average target around $342.50), while CEO Christopher Nassetta sold 114,289 shares (~$36.3M), highlighting mixed signals from the sell‑side and insiders.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Hilton Worldwide had a negative return on equity of 40.24% and a net margin of 12.10%.Hilton Worldwide's revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Hilton Worldwide updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.280-8.400 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 2.180-2.240 EPS.

Hilton Worldwide Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE HLT traded down $3.90 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $328.55. The company had a trading volume of 360,163 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,847,884. Hilton Worldwide has a 1 year low of $217.05 and a 1 year high of $344.75. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $311.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $294.00. The stock has a market cap of $75.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.11.

Hilton Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide's dividend payout ratio is presently 9.80%.

Hilton Worldwide News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS beat — Hilton reported adjusted EPS of $2.01, topping consensus (~$1.94-$1.96), showing quarter‑over‑year profit improvement. Zacks: Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Raised full‑year room‑revenue growth outlook and cited strong travel demand and RevPAR gains (systemwide comparable RevPAR +3.6% q/q, adj. EBITDA $901M), supporting better long‑run revenue trends. Reuters: Revenue Growth Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Management boosted its adjusted EPS target for 2026, citing favorable U.S. macro trends — a bullish signal for profitability if demand persists. WSJ: Boosts EPS Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press release: reported GAAP diluted EPS $1.66 and net income $383M; full Q1 release and metrics available for review. Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance came in below Street expectations — Q2 EPS guided to $2.18‑$2.24 (consensus ~$2.43) and FY2026 EPS guided to $8.28‑$8.40 (consensus ~$9.05), raising concerns about near‑term upside. Guidance / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue reporting confusion/miss in some summaries (notably a $1.20B line vs. higher analyst expectations) and a negative ROE (-40.24%) highlight accounting/one‑time items and leverage that investors may view as risks. MarketBeat: Metrics

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HLT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $266.00 to $321.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $304.00 to $322.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore lifted their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $335.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $253.00 to $307.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $373.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hilton Worldwide has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $342.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total transaction of $36,283,328.83. Following the sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLT. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,092,347 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,462,778,000 after buying an additional 475,896 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,823,631 shares of the company's stock worth $811,089,000 after purchasing an additional 55,228 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 15.8% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,754,958 shares of the company's stock valued at $791,362,000 after purchasing an additional 375,993 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,385,868 shares of the company's stock valued at $618,990,000 after purchasing an additional 23,077 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,736,153 shares of the company's stock worth $498,710,000 after buying an additional 19,318 shares in the last quarter. 95.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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