JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) Stock

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) had its target price upped by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $178.00 to $179.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 10.97% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Friday, January 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $198.00 price objective for the company. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $200.00 to $198.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $154.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hyatt Hotels currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $172.13.

Hyatt Hotels Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of NYSE:H opened at $161.31 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $162.64 and a 200-day moving average of $151.23. Hyatt Hotels has a twelve month low of $102.43 and a twelve month high of $174.58. The firm has a market cap of $15.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -173.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.30) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.79). Hyatt Hotels had a positive return on equity of 3.22% and a negative net margin of 1.27%.The firm had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.94 earnings per share. Hyatt Hotels’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Hyatt Hotels will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hyatt Hotels news, insider David Udell sold 4,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.00, for a total value of $713,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 13,746 shares in the company, valued at $2,281,836. This trade represents a 23.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Peter Sears sold 12,394 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.51, for a total value of $1,927,390.94. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $869,922.94. The trade was a 68.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 33,383 shares of company stock valued at $5,321,682. 23.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hyatt Hotels

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of H. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 0.8% during the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 9,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,339,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in Hyatt Hotels by 17.8% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 483 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. grew its position in Hyatt Hotels by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. now owns 23,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,314,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc grew its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 2,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gilbert & Cook Inc. increased its stake in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 2,439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $391,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.54% of the company’s stock.

Hyatt Hotels Company Profile

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.