Hilton looks pricey to us

Article Excerpt

HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS INC. $145 is a hold. The company (New York symbol HLT; Consumer Sector; Shares outstanding: 278.7 million; Market cap: $40.4 billion; Dividend suspended; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.hiltonworldwide.com) owns, manages and franchises hotels under several brands, including Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Doubletree and Embassy Suites by Hilton. The U.S. accounts for 71% of the company’s 1.06 million rooms. Activist investor Bill Ackman, through his Pershing Square Capital Management hedge fund, now owns 5% of Hilton’s shares. Ackman likes the company’s “asset light” business model, which has let it generate positive cash flow despite the COVID-19 travel restrictions. The stock has more than tripled since falling to $44.30 in March 2020 during on the onset of COVID-19. However, the shares are expensive at 64.2 times the $2.26 a share that Hilton will likely earn in 2021. Hilton Worldwide is a hold. hold…