Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the fifteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $19.17.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on HST shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Compass Point cut Host Hotels & Resorts from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $20.00 to $18.00 in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from $23.00 to $20.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Host Hotels & Resorts from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $16.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on Host Hotels & Resorts from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Host Hotels & Resorts Price Performance

HST stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $13.66. 5,532,413 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,964,684. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $14.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 2.90 and a current ratio of 1.91. The stock has a market cap of $9.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80 and a beta of 1.26. Host Hotels & Resorts has a fifty-two week low of $12.22 and a fifty-two week high of $19.87.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.29. Host Hotels & Resorts had a net margin of 12.26% and a return on equity of 10.37%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.37 billion. Research analysts predict that Host Hotels & Resorts will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.86%. Host Hotels & Resorts's payout ratio is 80.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Host Hotels & Resorts

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Freedom Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Host Hotels & Resorts by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc. now owns 22,216 shares of the company's stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 622 shares during the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 24,404 shares of the company's stock valued at $428,000 after buying an additional 634 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Wealth Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Evergreen Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 12,932 shares of the company's stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 651 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in Host Hotels & Resorts by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 16,549 shares of the company's stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Host Hotels & Resorts by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 74,014 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,297,000 after acquiring an additional 746 shares in the last quarter. 98.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Host Hotels & Resorts

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the management of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Brazil, and Canada. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.