Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Price Target Cut to $320.00 by Analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein

Key Points

• Sanford C. Bernstein lowered Hilton Worldwide’s price target slightly to $320 from $322 while keeping a market perform rating, implying only modest upside from the previous close.
• Wall Street sentiment remains generally constructive: Hilton has 14 Buy ratings and 9 Hold ratings, with an average analyst target of $348.55, though views are mixed across firms.
• Hilton recently beat quarterly EPS estimates but posted revenue below expectations, and the company guided to FY2026 EPS of $8.28–$8.40; meanwhile, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold a large stake in February.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $322.00 to $320.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "market perform" rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein's price target would suggest a potential upside of 1.18% from the company's previous close.

HLT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings raised Hilton Worldwide from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $339.00 price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $354.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $360.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Macquarie Infrastructure boosted their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $296.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $348.55.

Hilton Worldwide Price Performance

HLT opened at $316.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.06. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $312.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $298.10. Hilton Worldwide has a 1-year low of $241.45 and a 1-year high of $344.75.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. The business'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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hilton Worldwide will post 9.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 36,445 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. The trade was a 75.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Hilton Worldwide

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLT. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 163.2% in the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 100 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Hilton Worldwide by 70.1% during the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 114 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Hilton Worldwide during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.90% of the company's stock.

More Hilton Worldwide News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised Hilton Worldwide’s earnings estimates for multiple future quarters and full years, including FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations for HLT.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm now sees FY2028 EPS at $12.81 versus a prior $12.25 estimate, and FY2027 EPS at $10.49 versus $10.22, which may reinforce confidence in Hilton’s long-term earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: One Zacks note cut its Q2 2026 EPS estimate to $2.22 from $2.37, partially offsetting the otherwise more upbeat outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Another recent article noted analysts’ opinions remain mixed across consumer cyclical names, including Hilton Worldwide, suggesting sentiment is improving but not uniformly bullish.

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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