Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) Stock

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised its price target on Hilton to $376 from $373 and maintained an overweight rating, implying roughly a 14% upside from current levels.
• Hilton beat the quarter on EPS at $2.08 (vs. $2.02 estimate) and provided FY2026 guidance of 8.490–8.610 EPS with Q1 guidance of 1.910–1.970, supporting upbeat analyst revisions.
• Insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares for about $36.3 million, cutting his stake by 75.8%; institutional investors still own roughly 95.9% of the stock.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $373.00 to $376.00 in a report released on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price points to a potential upside of 13.99% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $304.00 to $322.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group raised their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $312.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Macquarie Infrastructure boosted their price target on Hilton Worldwide from $295.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Evercore increased their price objective on Hilton Worldwide from $325.00 to $335.00 in a report on Thursday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hilton Worldwide currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $328.95.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE HLT opened at $329.86 on Tuesday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $307.64 and its 200-day moving average is $288.67. The company has a market capitalization of $75.47 billion, a PE ratio of 53.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11. Hilton Worldwide has a 12-month low of $201.15 and a 12-month high of $333.86.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.02 by $0.06. Hilton Worldwide had a net margin of 12.10% and a negative return on equity of 40.24%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Hilton Worldwide has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.490-8.610 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.910-1.970 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Hilton Worldwide will post 7.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Hilton Worldwide

In other news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of Hilton Worldwide stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hilton Worldwide in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in Hilton Worldwide in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Hilton Worldwide by 52.9% during the third quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 130 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 110.6% during the third quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 139 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. 95.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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