Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Hyatt a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating from 17 analysts (10 buy, 6 hold, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month target of $181.47.
• Insiders have been net sellers: 214,234 shares (~$35.9M) were sold last quarter, including Jnp 2010‑Pg Trust's sale of 213,434 shares (~$35.8M), cutting its stake by 50%.
• Earnings beat: Hyatt reported $1.33 EPS vs. $0.29 expected and $1.79B revenue for the quarter; the stock trades near $162 (12‑month high $180.53) and pays a $0.15 quarterly dividend (0.4% yield).

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $181.4667.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on H. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $178.00 to $179.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $158.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hyatt Hotels from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $203.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $167.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Jnp 2010-Pg Trust sold 213,434 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.75, for a total transaction of $35,803,553.50. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 213,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,803,553.50. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Kinsey Wolf sold 400 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.28, for a total value of $58,912.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 545 shares in the company, valued at $80,267.60. This trade represents a 42.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 214,234 shares of company stock worth $35,920,202 over the last quarter. 23.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hyatt Hotels

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of H. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Hyatt Hotels by 7.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 426,359 shares of the company's stock worth $52,229,000 after buying an additional 29,976 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Hyatt Hotels by 8.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 143,311 shares of the company's stock worth $17,556,000 after buying an additional 11,252 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Hyatt Hotels in the second quarter worth $616,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in Hyatt Hotels by 394.6% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 17,312 shares of the company's stock worth $2,418,000 after buying an additional 13,812 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Hyatt Hotels by 61.0% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 68,803 shares of the company's stock worth $9,609,000 after buying an additional 26,073 shares during the last quarter. 73.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hyatt Hotels Stock Down 1.1%

H stock opened at $162.15 on Wednesday. Hyatt Hotels has a twelve month low of $108.24 and a twelve month high of $180.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock's 50 day moving average is $155.46 and its 200-day moving average is $157.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.32 billion, a PE ratio of -289.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.28.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $1.04. Hyatt Hotels had a positive return on equity of 5.53% and a negative net margin of 0.73%.The company had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.42 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Hyatt Hotels will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hyatt Hotels Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Hyatt Hotels's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -107.14%.

About Hyatt Hotels

Hyatt Hotels Corporation NYSE: H is a global hospitality company that develops, owns, manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts and vacation properties. Its portfolio spans a range of price points and styles under brands such as Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Thompson Hotels, Alila and Destination by Hyatt. In addition to accommodations, the company provides meeting and event spaces, food and beverage outlets, spa and wellness centers, and a variety of guest services designed to cater to both leisure and business travelers.

Hyatt's business model combines property ownership, management contracts and third-party franchising.

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