H World Group (NASDAQ:HTHT) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded H World Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating, reflecting a more positive outlook for the stock.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. has lowered its price target for H World Group from $43.00 to $42.00, maintaining an "overweight" rating, with a consensus target price of $40.80.
• Institutional investors control 46.41% of H World Group's stock, with notable increases in holdings from several hedge funds during the second quarter.

Zacks Research upgraded shares of H World Group (NASDAQ:HTHT - Free Report) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on H World Group from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.80.

H World Group Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of HTHT traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $36.64. 1,525,231 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,047,631. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. H World Group has a 12-month low of $28.27 and a 12-month high of $42.98. The company has a market cap of $11.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.35.

H World Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 9th will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 480.0%. H World Group's payout ratio is presently 95.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On H World Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HTHT. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of H World Group by 4,554.2% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,684,748 shares of the company's stock worth $432,453,000 after purchasing an additional 11,433,692 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in shares of H World Group by 95.0% during the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 12,487,444 shares of the company's stock worth $423,574,000 after buying an additional 6,082,369 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its holdings in H World Group by 2,301.4% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 3,926,818 shares of the company's stock worth $145,332,000 after acquiring an additional 3,763,295 shares in the last quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd raised its holdings in H World Group by 66.5% during the first quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 6,856,300 shares of the company's stock worth $253,752,000 after acquiring an additional 2,738,772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in H World Group by 625.5% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,136,770 shares of the company's stock worth $70,578,000 after acquiring an additional 1,842,244 shares in the last quarter. 46.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About H World Group

H World Group Limited develops leased and owned, manachised, and franchised hotels in the People's Republic of China. The company operates hotels under its own brands, such as HanTing Hotel, Ni Hao Hotel, Hi Inn, Elan Hotel, Zleep Hotels, Ibis Hotel, JI Hotel, Orange Hotel, Starway Hotel, Ibis Styles Hotel, CitiGO Hotel, Crystal Orange Hotel, IntercityHotel, Manxin Hotel, Mercure Hotel, Madison Hotel, Novotel Hotel, Joya Hotel, Blossom House, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX by Steigenberger, Jaz in the City, Grand Mercure, Steigenberger Icon, and Song Hotels.