QRG Capital Management Inc. Increases Position in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. $HST

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 231,763 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,642 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Host Hotels & Resorts were worth $4,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HST. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in Host Hotels & Resorts during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 79.6% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 786 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts by 234.1% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new stake in shares of Host Hotels & Resorts during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.52% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup upped their target price on Host Hotels & Resorts from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Argus upgraded shares of Host Hotels & Resorts to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Host Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Host Hotels & Resorts from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.38.

Host Hotels & Resorts Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of HST opened at $21.68 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.10. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has a 52 week low of $14.44 and a 52 week high of $21.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $19.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $18.69. The company has a quick ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Host Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ:HST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.27). Host Hotels & Resorts had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 11.54%. The company had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.49 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.44 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 2.09 EPS for the current year.

Host Hotels & Resorts Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. Host Hotels & Resorts’s payout ratio is 72.73%.

Key Headlines Impacting Host Hotels & Resorts

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Reported FFO/EPS of $0.67, above consensus and last year, and revenue of $1.65B vs. estimates of ~$1.59B, signaling operating resilience and driving the initial positive reaction. Host Hotels (HST) Tops Q1 FFO and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 guidance — Management set EPS guidance of $2.10–2.16 (vs. ~2.09 consensus) and revenue guidance around $6.1–6.2B, which supports a more constructive outlook for full‑year earnings. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost and special payout — Company announced a $0.20 quarterly dividend plus a $0.72 special dividend, returning cash to shareholders and lifting near‑term investor yield. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: RevPAR momentum — Comparable total RevPAR grew ~4.6% and the company raised full‑year comparable RevPAR guidance to 3.0%–4.5%, indicating improving pricing/occupancy trends in its portfolio. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest top‑line growth and solid margins — Revenue was up ~3.2% year‑over‑year and the company shows healthy ROE and net margins; these are supportive but not disruptive to expectations. Compared to Estimates, Host Hotels (HST) Q1 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Interest‑cost / AFFO concerns — Pre‑earnings commentary noted higher interest costs could pressure AFFO per share, a metric REIT investors watch closely; rising rates or financing costs remain a risk to sustained cash‑flow growth. Is Host Hotels Stock a Smart Buy Before Q1 Earnings Release?

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.