Host Hotels & Resorts Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?
With a market cap of $10.2 billion, Bethesda, Maryland-based Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST) is the largest lodging real estate investment trust (REIT) and a leading owner of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. HST owns 81 properties totaling approximately 43,400 rooms and partners with premier global brands to deliver long-term, risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.
Shares of Host Hotels & Resorts have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. HST has declined 22.5% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied 8%. Moreover, shares of HST are down nearly 17% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX’s 4.9% decrease.
Zooming in further, the lodging REIT’s underperformance becomes more evident when compared to the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLRE) nearly 12% gain over the past 52 weeks.
Shares of HST rose 2.9% following its Q1 2025 earnings release on Apr. 30, driven by a 4.9% year-over-year increase in AFFO per share, which reached $0.64, surpassing the consensus estimate. The company posted total revenues of $1.6 billion, beating estimates, and reported a 7% growth in comparable hotel RevPAR. Additionally, HST raised its full-year AFFO per share guidance to a range of $1.88 - $1.97, above the prior guidance and the consensus.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December 2025, analysts expect HST’s AFFO to decline 3.1% year-over-year to $1.91 per share. However, the company’s earnings surprise history is promising. It beat or met the consensus estimates in the last four quarters.
Among the 16 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on nine “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and six “Holds.”
This configuration is less bullish than three months ago, with 12 “Strong Buy” ratings on the stock.
On Apr. 16, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Simon Yarmak reaffirmed a “Buy” rating on Host Hotels & Resorts, setting a price target of $17.
As of writing, HST is trading below the mean price target of $17.82. The Street-high price target of $21 implies a potential upside of 43.1% from the current price.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.