FY2028 Earnings Estimate for HLT Issued By Zacks Research

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) – Analysts at Zacks Research issued their FY2028 EPS estimates for shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $12.25 for the year. The consensus estimate for Hilton Worldwide’s current full-year earnings is $7.89 per share.

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.76 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on HLT. Evercore increased their target price on Hilton Worldwide from $325.00 to $335.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $339.00 price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $289.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Hilton Worldwide from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $326.32.

Hilton Worldwide Stock Down 2.1%

Hilton Worldwide stock opened at $311.30 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $302.72 and its 200 day moving average is $281.67. The company has a market capitalization of $71.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.87, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.13. Hilton Worldwide has a twelve month low of $196.04 and a twelve month high of $333.86.

Hilton Worldwide Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Hilton Worldwide’s payout ratio is presently 9.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hilton Worldwide news, insider Christopher J. Nassetta sold 114,289 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.47, for a total value of $36,283,328.83. Following the transaction, the insider owned 36,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,570,194.15. This represents a 75.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hilton Worldwide

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Hilton Worldwide during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $803,047,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,100,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,620,531,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132,880 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 1,222.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 820,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $212,998,000 after acquiring an additional 758,930 shares during the period. Winslow Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hilton Worldwide by 62.6% in the 2nd quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC now owns 1,894,315 shares of the company’s stock worth $504,532,000 after purchasing an additional 729,295 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Hilton Worldwide by 126.3% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,138,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $303,173,000 after purchasing an additional 635,220 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Hilton Worldwide News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilton Worldwide this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research issued a very bullish FY2028 EPS projection of $12.25 per share (vs. the current consensus ~$7.89), which could support a higher long-term valuation and optimism among growth-focused investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Two firms raised targets this week — one report cites a new $360 price target and another named Sanford C. Bernstein set a $322 target — signaling some analysts see more upside. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~13% in February to ~5.08M shares (≈2.3% of float), reducing potential bearish squeeze pressure and signaling fewer traders are betting against the name.
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary highlights Hilton alongside Marriott and Hyatt as driving growth via loyalty, conversions and memberships — supportive for revenue and fee-based growth prospects. 3 Hotel Stocks to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also tweaked several near-term quarter forecasts — lifting some quarters (e.g., Q2/Q3 2027, Q1 2026) while trimming others — producing a mixed short-term earnings picture that could increase volatility as numbers are repriced.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut FY2026 guidance from $9.04 to $8.77 and trimmed multiple 2026/early‑2027 quarterly estimates (notably Q3/Q4 2026 and Q1 2027), which is a negative near-term earnings signal and likely pressured the share price.
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Hilton’s valuation is stretched after recent highs, which may have prompted some profit-taking among momentum investors. Article Title

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.