Aberdeen Group plc Cuts Stock Position in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. $HST

Aberdeen Group plc cut its position in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) by 32.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,068,834 shares of the company’s stock after selling 518,331 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.16% of Host Hotels & Resorts worth $18,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 25,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 5.4% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 17,683 shares of the company’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares in the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 13,089 shares of the company’s stock valued at $223,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,267 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 216,857 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,331,000 after purchasing an additional 1,031 shares in the last quarter. 98.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 price target on Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Compass Point raised shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. UBS Group set a $21.00 price target on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Truist Financial upgraded shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Host Hotels & Resorts presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.27.

Key Stories Impacting Host Hotels & Resorts

Here are the key news stories impacting Host Hotels & Resorts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company set FY‑2026 EPS guidance substantially above consensus (midpoint ~ $2.07 vs. street ~ $1.36), signalling stronger outlook for earnings and cash available for returns. Host Hotels & Resorts Announces Sale & 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: FFO and revenue beat in Q4 — adjusted FFO/ diluted share topped estimates ($0.51 vs. Zacks $0.47) and revenue exceeded expectations, supporting the REIT cash‑flow story. Host Hotels (HST) Beats Q4 FFO and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Sold two Four Seasons resorts for $1.1B, realizing an ~11% unlevered IRR and a high EBITDA multiple — immediate proceeds strengthen liquidity and funding optionality for buybacks, dividends or accretive investments. Host Hotels Sells Two Luxury Resorts for $1.1 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: 2025 operational results: full‑year comparable Total RevPAR +4.2%, GAAP net income +9.8% and $2.4B available liquidity; Moody’s upgrade and ongoing share repurchase/dividend program support shareholder returns. Host Hotels 2025 Results & Liquidity
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 operational guidance calls for modest RevPAR growth (comparable Total RevPAR +2.5% to +4.0%) and GAAP revenue roughly flat to down slightly versus 2025 — implies steady but not breakout top‑line momentum. Host Hotels Q4 Earnings: Key Metrics vs Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned capital spending of $525M–$625M in 2026 and transformational programs with Marriott/Hyatt signal reinvestment in the portfolio — supports long‑term value but will use near‑term cash. Host Hotels Capex & Transformational Programs
• Negative Sentiment: Margins showed pressure: full‑year operating profit margin declined ~140 bps and comparable hotel EBITDA margin down ~40 bps year‑over‑year (higher wages, less insurance benefit), which could weigh on profitability multiple expansion. Host Hotels Margins & 2025 Details
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS missed the quarterly consensus and some institutional holders trimmed positions (noted large fund reductions and recent insider sells), which could increase near‑term selling pressure despite FFO strength. Quarterly Results (EPS miss) / Slide Deck

Host Hotels & Resorts Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of HST opened at $20.26 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.17. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has a 52 week low of $12.22 and a 52 week high of $20.37. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $18.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.52. The company has a quick ratio of 2.90, a current ratio of 2.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.04. Host Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 11.11% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.44 earnings per share. Host Hotels & Resorts’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Host Hotels & Resorts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.110 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. will post 1.88 EPS for the current year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a yield of 85.0%. Host Hotels & Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is 76.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Host Hotels & Resorts news, EVP Nathan S. Tyrrell sold 9,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.47, for a total value of $167,818.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 659,841 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,187,263.27. This represents a 1.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Host Hotels & Resorts Profile

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and managing premium lodging properties. The company’s portfolio predominantly comprises luxury and upper-upscale hotels and resorts operated under leading global brands. Through strategic acquisitions, dispositions and capital investments, Host Hotels & Resorts seeks to enhance long-term value by aligning property-level operating performance with broader market trends in hospitality demand.

The company’s holdings span major urban, resort and conference destinations across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.