Morgan Stanley Cuts Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) Price Target to $185.00

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) had its price target decreased by Morgan Stanley from $194.00 to $185.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on H. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $203.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup raised 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. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Hyatt Hotels from $158.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $175.80.

Hyatt Hotels Stock Down 5.3%

NYSE:H opened at $143.42 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.75. The company has a market capitalization of $13.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -256.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.22. Hyatt Hotels has a one year low of $102.43 and a one year high of $180.53. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $162.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $154.86.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.42 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Hyatt Hotels will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hyatt Hotels Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Javier Aguila sold 9,548 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.87, for a total transaction of $1,583,726.76. Following the transaction, the insider owned 2,684 shares in the company, valued at $445,195.08. This trade represents a 78.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 23.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hyatt Hotels

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hyatt Hotels in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 450.0% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of Hyatt Hotels during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hyatt Hotels in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 98.2% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. 73.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.