Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest surged in March to 30,454,300 shares (up 23% from Feb. 26), representing about 4.5% of shares outstanding and a short-interest ratio of 3.1 days.
• Host declared a $0.20 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.80) with an ex-dividend date of Mar. 31 and payment on Apr. 15, implying a ~4.2% yield and a 72.73% payout ratio.
• The company missed EPS expectations in the latest quarter ($0.20 vs. $0.47 consensus) but beat on revenue ($1.60B), and set FY2026 guidance of 2.030–2.110 EPS versus analyst consensus of 1.88.

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 30,454,300 shares, a growth of 23.0% from the February 26th total of 24,760,851 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,676,028 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days. Approximately 4.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Host Hotels & Resorts

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in Host Hotels & Resorts by 89.1% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 1,658 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 781 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in the second quarter worth $29,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 79.6% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,773 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 786 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the second quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 234.1% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,911 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,339 shares during the period. 98.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Host Hotels & Resorts Price Performance

HST traded up $0.12 on Monday, hitting $18.96. 6,118,185 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,327,846. Host Hotels & Resorts has a fifty-two week low of $12.22 and a fifty-two week high of $21.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.09. The stock has a market cap of $13.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.13.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. Host Hotels & Resorts had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 11.54%. Host Hotels & Resorts's revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.44 EPS. Host Hotels & Resorts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.110 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Host Hotels & Resorts will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Host Hotels & Resorts's dividend payout ratio is 72.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on HST shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 price target on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. UBS Group set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 target price on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Thursday. They set a "buy" rating and a $23.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $20.43.

Host Hotels & Resorts Company Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and managing premium lodging properties. The company's portfolio predominantly comprises luxury and upper-upscale hotels and resorts operated under leading global brands. Through strategic acquisitions, dispositions and capital investments, Host Hotels & Resorts seeks to enhance long-term value by aligning property-level operating performance with broader market trends in hospitality demand.

The company's holdings span major urban, resort and conference destinations across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.